Halo 3: The Ark
by Gharst Omenlumin
Summary: The Prophet of Truth closes in on the Portal and the Ark. The only ones capable of stopping him are the Master Chief and the Arbiter. but they'll need all the help they can get. But will They arrive in time, knowing the determination of Truth, while the Gravemind forms his own plans for the Galaxy? As It tries to torture Cortana, the Master Chief will feel the consequences.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings, those that are familiar with my stories and those who aren't. I will continue to write these stories, as promised (Which I recommend you read (ALL of them) in order to understand this one). Sorry for the delay, but I have exams this week, and the writing, while inconsistent at best, has been a good stress relief after the learning and blocking of the subjects.**

 **Be warned (Only this line Spoilers): This is the last of the stories that will stay consistent with major Halo canon, and this one will have an AU ending. Sorry if the part that stayed true to Halo Canon was what kept you reading. But I feel you deserve the warning.**

 **I will correct three parts that I feel Halo 3, as good a game as it is, could have done better:  
1\. the Defection of other Covenant members besides the Elites is mostly ignored in Halo 3, despite the fact Grunts and Hunters are also loyal to the Arbiter and his forces in Halo 2. I feel this is a missed story element, and I will do my best to correct that.  
2\. I will explain the fact that the Monitor didn't know about the Ark not being on Earth. for me that part has always been confusing. He said it was on Earth, as implied by Halo 2's ending. but he said in Halo 3 he assumed it was part of a Shield-installation. and yet, depicted in the Halo CE anniversary logs, he had actually been to the Ark, and knew it was in fact neither. I will apply my own explanation on that.  
And 3. they never explained how the Cortana-moments (and Gravemind-moments) actually happened in-game. it was just a short moment you were incredibly slowed down, and then the game continued. granted, in terms of story, Cortana is involved more despite her absence. but in terms of gameplay and such, not much else happened. it wasn't very intense on terms of story or anything. I will improve that. **

**Request: Please Review. I do my best to improve in terms of story wherever I can, but I can't improve some things if People don't point out where I'm taking the wrong direction.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Halo 3, nor anything included here beyond OC's.**

 **Now, Gharst has said more than enough.**

 **read. and enjoy.**

* * *

Halo 3: The Ark

Chapter 1

* * *

Kenyan Jungle, East-Africa, Earth

17-11-2552

John looked around in the darkness, as he thought back to what happened last before he lost consciousness. He had felt an intense pain in the back of his neck where...

Cortana!

She must be under some sort of attack of the Gravemind, and her pain, however she might feel it, was extended to him as well. He wondered how such a thing was possible. After all, he was lightyears away, and she had no trace left of herself in his head, except a datachip containing her memory matrix crystal, or whatever the thing was called. But at the moment, he didn't care.

Right now, as he fell, he was listening to her voice, which sounded in his ears instead of from his helmet, as usual.

" _They let me pick._ " she started. She sounded... calm, serene. Like she wasn't under attack at all. But John suspected otherwise. " _Did I ever tell you that? Choose whichever Spartan I wanted._ "

John didn't know this. But he didn't need to. This was way above his usual clearance level, and he knew some things were best left hidden.

" _Like the others, you were strong, and brave._ " Cortana continued. " _A natural leader._ " she paused. " _But you had something_ they _didn't. Something no one saw, but_ me _._ " she paused again. " _Can you guess?_ "

He was about to, but then, the ground really shuddered, and he felt a large crash.

He had landed from his fall from the Forerunner Keyship.

" _Luck_." he heard. Then, the pain from the crash, combined with the suffering of Cortana he felt, started to overwhelm him. He only heard a final question, as he slipped into unconsciousness.

" _Was I wrong?_ "

* * *

Thel followed the dark-skinned human sergeant called Johnson, as he led them through the Jungle. They had detected the crash earlier in the night, but the skies were too crowded with Brute Banshees for them to make a rescue attempt. In fact, it was still clouded with Banshees, and a suicide mission to try it now. But if they waited, the Chief would be skinned by the Brutes for sure.

Thel wondered, amusingly, when he'd started to use the Human names for the species of the Covenant. But, as usual, he didn't have time to ponder it, as he jumped down from the cliff, landing in the pool the waterfall he'd used as cover had created.

He stepped aside, so the others had room to land. After him, three Humans and six Grunts followed, with Usze and N'tho bringing up the rear.

They followed the trail, and Thel could see a bit of black smoke directly ahead. They were getting closer.

He smiled again, as he looked at the composition of the team. A month ago, this would have been unthinkable, for Elites to follow humans, and for a Grunt to have overall command. But, with the recent revelation of the deception of the San'Shyuum, the Separatists had been left without a true leader. For a few hours, anyway. That was when rumor had spread down from High-Charity that Humans were willing to side with them. And the Separatists had readily accepted.

Back then, when the rumor had started, it was false. Merely a deception of the Spartan, so he wouldn't be shot by _everyone_ on High-Charity, but merely by _half_ the population.

However, the Human leader, Hood, had taken the Chief's offer seriously, and had offered the four species that made up the separatists (Elites, Grunts, Hunters and Engineers) asylum and aid in exchange for mutual ceasefire. The Elites, in need of allies, especially with the silence of Sang'Katarn, had accepted with open arms.

In the distance, he heard a howl, followed by an explosion. Good. A Human by the name of Reynolds had taken a team of special troopers and hunters, and was busy distracting the Brutes so they could sneak out the Chief under their very noses. And, from the sound of it, it was going very well.

"Arbiter." Johnson called. "Over here."

Thel quickened his pace, and he followed the trail the human had followed. And sure enough, after rounding a rock wall, he saw him.

The Master Chief. Rumored to be the last of his kind after the others had been sent to a planet called Onyx, only to lose contact shortly after arrival. The Demon, as the majority of the Separatists still called him.

Laying on the ground his arms in the air like he was falling. And he was not moving.

The scene was... odd. A Forerunner door lay thirty meters away, embedded in a pool of mud and quicksand, as it was sinking away. It was also glowing from the heat caused by the friction upon atmospheric insertion. It was likely the cause of the smoke he'd seen earlier.

"This no good." one of the Grunts said, upon arrival.

"Damn." one of the humans, Wilson, said. "How far did the bastard fall?"

"Two kilometers." one of the Elites answered. "That was the altitude of the ship when we detected he'd jumped from it."

"Stay sharp." Johnson said, as he moved over for a closer look. He grabbed his cigar, and sighed at the sight of it. Thel could understand. While the Elites weren't as desperate as the humans anymore, even he knew the Master Chief was a hero. A symbol the humans could rally behind. A symbol of hope that they could live to fight on.

To see him like this, likely killed by the crash, it even made Thel morose.

"Corpsman?" Johnson asked of one of the remaining humans.

"His armor's locked up." the woman said, as she grabbed her datapad, and inserted a cable in it. She grabbed the other end, and opened a port on the Chief's right lower arm she inserted the cable in it, and started pressing buttons on the datapad. "Gel layer _could_ have taken most of the impact."

a final button was pushed, and the arms dropped, the armor no longer electrically locked up to absorb the shocks and air currents during the drop down.

Johnson tapped at a back slot of the armor, and, to Thel's slight surprise, a chip came out.

"Radio for VTOL. Heavy lift gear." he said.

"What?" one of the Grunts said. "But Brutes still around. They shoot down VTOL."

"We're not leaving him here." Johnson adamantly said, his voice making clear there was no argument here.

And someone unexpected supported him.

"Yeah. You're not." an unknown voice said, and everyone turned around in surprise.

The Master Chief was getting up.

"You crazy fool." Johnson criticized him, though Thel knew Johnson was happy the Chief was alive. "Why do you always jump?"

"One of these days, you're gonna land on something as stubborn as you and I." Wilson added. "And we don't do bits and pieces."

the Chief nodded, and took the Chip over from Johnson.

"Where is she, Chief?" he asked. "Where's Cortana?"

the Chief briefly looked at the Chip, as in lost in thought. Then he inserted it back into his head. "She stayed behind."

Johnson nodded. "I imagine you'll have a lot of questions, considering it ain't halloween, and yet Wilson's friends have dressed up." the man in question glared at Johnson. "But until we have a quiet place to talk, here's the short version: The Arbiter over here has made his race, along with the Grunts, Hunters and Gasbags rebel against the ugly bastard Truth. Hood, taking inspiration from the propaganda you and Cortana spread, actually offered them a place at our side. The ba-" Johnson paused, aware the beings in question were still within earshot "the beings accepted. And now, we're fighting alongside each other until Truth's stopped. For the rest, wait until we're back at base, and Commander Keyes will catch you up."

The Chief nodded, and held out his hand. Wilson, understanding, gave him his pistol, and Usze gave the Chief his Carbine, drawing his own Plasma Rifles. The Chief nodded, and Thel led the way.  
"We must go. The Brutes will have our scent by now."

"Then they must _love_ the smell of bad-ass." Johnson retorted. "First Squad, you're my scouts. Elites, you three stay with the Chief. Everyone else, move out, quiet as you can."

everyone nodded, and they all went off.

Thel led them back the way they came. They'd traveled for barely half a kilometer, however, before a hostile Spirit flew over.

"Sergeant, Spirit." one of the Grunts warned. Everyone, upon seeing the ship, hunkered down, so they wouldn't be spotted. Once it had flown over, heading for the smoke, the last marine spoke up. "If we stick together, we're gonna get spotted. Let's split up."

"Agreed." the Chief said. He then pointed at N'tho and Usze. "You two, take Johnson and the other humans, and head over along the waterfall. Arbiter, we'll continue following the river until we need to split off for that LZ. The Grunts go with me."

"Yes, Chief." Wilson said. "Oh, and do keep an eye out for Bravo Squad, our distraction. They were causing trouble for the Brutes earlier. But if they're pissed off enough, those boys are in for a lot of trouble."

the Chief nodded. "I'll keep my eyes open. Now go."

Wilson nodded, and he followed the others in a climb. The Chief then turned to the Arbiter. "Lead the way."

Thel nodded, and he climbed over the log that continued following the river. He kept his ears open to all com messages he could intercept.  
"Johnson, be advised." Reynolds said. "Hostiles are on- move." the message was filled with static, and Thel couldn't make out the entirety of it. "Got ey- Brute pack, over."

"Say again, Reynolds?" Thel said. "Your battlenet's breaking up.

This time, only static answered.

Thel turned to the Chief and the Grunts following him. Thel fell in line with them, letting the Chief take the lead.

The humans claimed he was that good, and Thel believed them.

But he still needed to see it with his own eyes.

* * *

John aimed the Carbine over the log they'd climbed. And he immediately ducked down.

A Brute was on the other side, with a lot of Drones nearby as backup. They had yet to spot any Jackals, but that was only a matter of time: in the jungle, with a lot of cover, they were in their element. They could hide anywhere in the trees, and shoot them down from a distance. But they were yet to be seen in large numbers.

"Look above." a Grunt next to the Chief quietly said. John looked.

And a pair of Jackals sat there, directly above them, loading up their Carbines. From the looks of it they were oblivious to the enemy below them.

John had to give them credit: as much as he might hate the Covenant species, and the Grunts, they could be very competent troops when properly motivated.

"Thanks." he said. He turned to the Arbiter. "Can you cloak?"

The Arbiter nodded.

"Climb up, and take them down quietly. As soon as you have done so, pin down the Brute. Me and the Grunts will move up and sweep across the survivors."

The Arbiter nodded, and he cloaked himself, disappearing from sight. After half a minute, two corpses landed at John's feet, and The Arbiter opened fire on the Brute, who looked up in surprise. The Drones moved to take flight and overwhelm the intruder...

and were overwhelmed themselves when the Chief and the Grunts threw a volley of Plasma grenades, taking down the majority of the swarm. Arbiter picked off the stragglers from his tree perch, while John finished off the Brute, whose armor had been destroyed by the Arbiter's initial shots.

They only lost one grunt in the skirmish, when a flight of three Drones picked up the Grunt, and threw him off a nearby cliff. The other Grunts, initially afraid, tried to scatter.

But under human command, John didn't let them off as easily.

"Hold your ground." he said, as he shot down the drones responsible. "They can't fight what they can't get at."

the leader, a former Ultra Grunt, nodded, and he moved back to the Chief. The others, realizing their leader had returned to aid the human, soon came running, even while they whimpered they were doomed.

Another Brute came running. John saw it, and raised his Carbine, now on his last clip.

It misfired, and the indicator showed it had wasted the rest of the charge.

Damn. Now he had to fight it up close. He raised his fists as it quickly closed the distance.

Before it got there, however, five overcharged Plasma Pistol shots came at the Brute from behind the Chief. One took down the armor, and the pieces fell to the ground. Two more heavily burned one leg, and it fell to one knee. One hit the chest, and it fell to the ground, onto his back.

And the last one, tracking its target, hit the Brute in the face as it tried to get back up. Its face melted off.

John looked at the Grunts, surprised that all had smoking plasma pistols. The one that had warned the Chief about the Jackals, a spec-ops Grunt, stood straighter, and sniffed the air.

"Must get moving. More apes coming."

John nodded, and he moved on. The Arbiter jumped down from his perch, and followed.

After a moment, Johnson came through on the com.

"Pelicans are en-route, Chief. But I can't raise Bravo."

John nodded, knowing what Johnson would ask. "We'll find them, Johnson. Just keep that engine running."

"Sure thing, Chief." the sergeant responded, before he disconnected.

John turned to the Arbiter. "What did the other team consist off?" he asked.

"Two Humans and six Hunters. They served as a distraction, so we could pick you up while they drew attention elsewhere."

"Take me to their last known location."

The Arbiter nodded, and he entered a small cave. After a moment, there was a small drop. John went in first, and he briefly checked the area. Then, he put his Carbine on his back, and looked up at the Grunts. "Can you guys climb down, or do I need to catch you?" he asked.

The Grunts looked among themselves, before the Ultra nodded. "We'll jump. You catch us?"

John nodded, despite himself. As much as he may dislike them, they needed each other to survive.

After each jumped down, and John awkwardly catching them and putting them down, he got his pistol out, and moved out. The Arbiter jumped as well, and they moved on.

Onto a horrific sight. In front of them, it looked like someone had made a last stand here, which they very well might have.

John had to admit, they had fought hard. He counted over Thirty Brute corpses, including a pair of Chieftains. But still, he counted all six Hunter bodies, and a human head was seen embedded on a Spiker's spike.

But the last human was missing.

The Arbiter was looking around as well. After a moment, the Arbiter looked up, at the Chief. "The leader of the group, Reynolds, isn't among them."

John nodded. But then, he had a moment of insight.

"white skin, brown eyes, odd accent?"

The Arbiter nodded. The Chief smirked. Then he knew him. He got him off High-Charity, and onto the ring. He was glad the man was alright.

A howl sounded, reminding the group the Sergeant soon might not be as alright as suspected. John grabbed a Battle Rifle to replace the Carbine, and they moved on.

Surprisingly, they only had to walk a hundred meters, before they heard voices.

"Tell us its location!" a Brute howled.

"Kiss... my... ass." a Human responded, and John recognized Reynolds' voice. John sighted down the scope of his Battle Rifle. Sure enough, he saw a Brute holding a Marine by the neck, a Mauler raised to the human's face. The Brute was standing on top of an outcropping, holding Reynolds over a pond.

John fired a small burst, at the Brute's hand. The Brute dropped Reynolds in surprise and pain, and Reynolds landed on the side of the outcropping, before rolling into the pond. The human immediately got up, and ran towards where he'd heard the shot come from. John fired on the Brute, wearing down the armor. After a moment, it fell off. Before John could continue the fight, however, the Arbiter fired, and the Brute died, killed from a headshot.

Reynolds sighed, as he came upon the group. "We really... should stop... meeting... like this."

John nodded. "I agree. What happened?"

"Brute Chieftain..." he panted. "A Phantom... pinned us down... killed the Hunters..."

John nodded, understanding the man needed a good rest to recover from a beating of a Brute.

"Just a little longer. We're to meet Johnson at the LZ."

Reynolds nodded, and he picked up the Brute's Mauler as they moved forward. "The bastard was trying to get the location of Crow's Nest out of me. Good thing you arrived when you did."

"It alright." a Grunt minor tried to awkwardly comfort. "Ape dead now."

Reynolds nodded. "But more are on the way. So lets get moving, Chief."

John got the hint, and he took the lead. "Crow's Nest?" he asked.

"The Largest Human base left in this country." the Arbiter explained. "Keyes is waiting for us there."

John nodded, as they entered another cave.

Just as they were to exit, however, he blacked out for a moment, and he doubled over in pain. _Aw hell._

" _Could you sacrifice me to complete your mission?_ " Cortana's voice asked, as her image faded in and out of his vision. " _Could you watch me_ die _?_ "

 _Hang on, Cortana. It may take a bit, but I'm coming._

He shook his head clear, and he saw he was in the cave again. The pain, for the moment, had died down.

And he was for sure now, that it was coming from her Chip.

He saw the others, only ten meters in front of him, had only just noticed he'd lagged behind.

"Demon ok?" one of the Grunts asked.

"Your vitals just read KIA." Reynolds said.

John shook his head. "gel layer of my Helmet temporary filled up." He lied. "It's over now."

Reynolds had suspicion in his eyes, as did the Arbiter. But both nodded anyway, trusting his judgement.

John made a point of taking the lead.

Sure enough, they arrived at an old river substation, controlled by a flight of Drones. Two Pelicans hovered in place over it, and John saw Johnson jump into one, along with his team. Wilson was manning a turret inside the Pelican to fend off sieging Drones. The two Elites were standing on top of the pelicans, preventing the Drones from ambushing them from above.

"Hustle." John said, and they all ran for it. He and the Arbiter paused at the sides of their Pelican, to allow the Grunts some cover as they boarded.

"Hold on!" the pilot said. "got a-"

There was a pause, as two Banshees flew over the Pelicans at high speed.

"Banshees! Fast and low!" she screamed. Obviously, she was a rookie pressed into service.

They turned around, and they fired a pair of Fuel Rods at the Pelicans. Both hit their dropship, and John jumped to the side to avoid being hit by it as it swerved, out of control. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Arbiter had jumped aside as well.

"I'M HIT! I'M HIT!" she called, as she clipped the other Pelican. John looked in horror, as he saw the Pelican, carrying his Grunts, crashed, clipping a canyon wall before crashing into another, exploding because of the force of impact. The Elite who had been on top of it, however, had jumped off in time, landing on the roof of a storage shed near the substation.

The other pelican, however, carrying Johnson and the others, swerved. Its wing-mate had clipped his engine, and he saw it was also out of control. However, this pilot managed to send it more upstream.

"Get a hold of her! Or I'll take over!" Wilson yelled angrily.

"Negative." the pilot said coolly, ignoring the angry ODST. "We're going down."

He watched, as the Drones flew after it. The pelican flew over the top of a cliff, before crashing. A boom sounded as soon as it was out of view, however, indicating it was the top of it, rather than a drop.

The other Elite appeared again, as well as Reynolds. They all gathered near the edge of the Jungle. "The Banshees will soon return." the Arbiter warned. "Hurry, Back into the Jungle!"

John nodded, and he followed the company, now consisting of three Elites, a Spartan and a Marine.

Sure enough, they soon came into the jungle, and they heard the craft swoop overhead, searching for survivors. Still, due to the cover of the Jungle, they made good way largely undetected.

Soon, to everyone's relief, Johnson called out on a general broadcast, transmitting only. John couldn't respond, but he could listen in.

"Chief! Can you hear me? My bird's dow- half a klick from you- ition. I repeat: do not resp- 's down, about half a- ownriver from your position." static riddled the broadcast, but John could figure out the meaning clear enough: Johnson was warning him away, telling his position as well.

And he'd go to hell before he left Johnson back behind.

"Any large human buildings nearby?" he asked. "Somewhere the Brutes could hold the marines?"

the Arbiter caught on. "This way." he said, taking a different route.

After half a minute of tracking, however, they came to a two-way intersection.

That is, if a tall cliff with only a small passage too big for the Spartan or Elite, and where only Reynolds would fit in.

"I'll take this route." Reynolds said. "Good luck with the climb."

John nodded, put his Battle Rifle on his back, and started climbing. The Elites followed behind.

It was, though not a short climb, not a dangerous one either. They were out of sight of the Banshees for the moment, and they were making good headway.

But then, surprisingly, he felt the pain in his neck start to increase again, and he knew another 'Cortana moment', as he dubbed them, was upon him.

" _We were built on foundations of lies._ " she said, as an image of her flashed by, collapsed on a floor.

He shook his head, and he saw the image was cleared, and he could see.

He also saw he was about to fall off, having lost his grip on the wall. Blast, he really needed to be careful. If one of those moments occurred during a firefight, it was sure to get him killed.

Still, he was ahead of the Elites, and they hadn't noticed yet he had halted. He continued the climb.

As he got to the top, Reynolds had already arrived, keeping the area clear with a scavenged Assault Rifle.

"About time you guys got here." the marine joked. "I saw tracks a few dozen meters north of here. I think it's them."

the Arbiter nodded. "Then let us not waste time standing here."

the Chief agreed with that, and he followed Reynolds, as they followed him. Sure enough, they found tracks definitely belonging to the marines.

But one of the Elites followed it in the wrong direction.

"Where are you going?" its comrade asked.

"If they crashed, there's a good chance their ship had left supplies on board. And if the Brutes did manage to catch them, they'll likely bring them to the dam anyway."

he admitted that made sense. And he _was_ running low on ammo. So he took the initiative, and followed the Elite. The others, not willing to argue, fell in step behind them.

After only a minute, they arrived at the Pelican, crashed upside down on the river bank. As the Elite had predicted, weapons were strewn about around the ship.

"Nice call, N'tho." the other who initially questioned his comrade said.

They all moved about, gathering supplies. John grabbed a Sniper Rifle to compensate for the pistol he'd given Reynolds. The Elites, apparently low on ammo as well, all grabbed a Battle Rifle, and Reynolds took a scavenged Needler from the debris as well. Then, they listened, as Crow's Nest tried to hail the Pelican.

"Echo 51, this is Crow's Nest." the operator called out. "Echo 51, please respond."

John grabbed the cockpit mike from the dead pilot.

"Crow's Nest, this is Sierra 117. Echo 51 is down. We're tracking the survivors. Request support and pick-up at the Dam near my position. Please acknowledge."

There was a short pause. "Affirmative, 117. I'll divert Hocus to pick you guys up. ETA's fifteen minutes."

"Copy that. 117 out." he got out, and followed the tracks. The others, already finished loading up and ready to leave, followed suit.

Soon, after a five-minute walk, they arrived at a short alcove, that ended with an overview of the dam.

The Arbiter pointed at a stone storage shed. "See how they bait their trap?"

John nodded, as he was looking at it right now with his Sniper Rifle. A Chieftain, along with two Brute Bodyguards, was pushing Johnson, Wilson and Sergeant Banks to the storage shed. Johnson whirled around, and punched the Chieftain in the gut. It apparently had no effect, and the Chieftain kicked Johnson inside. The bodyguards picked up Wilson and Banks, and literally threw them in.

"I will help you spring it." The Arbiter finished. John nodded, as he took aim. It was a slightly problematic shot, as the Chieftain had moved behind the shed. But the Bodyguards were swiftly shot down, on the other side of the dam.

Then, knowing the Chieftain wouldn't come out yet, he jumped down with the others, taking down two unsuspecting Jackals who stood guard below. Then, the two other Elites landed, and brandished Energy Swords. They charged a small pack of four Brutes, who all had their backs turned to them. They were surprised, when two of them suddenly had Energy Blades emerging from their jaw and chest respectively. The others tried to raise their weapons, but the Arbiter quickly shot them down with his Assault Rifle.  
Then, John's mood soured. From the top of the Dam, he saw a lot of Brutes, over twenty, charge to their side of the dam, and they were led by the Chieftain. And he didn't have enough ammo to take them all out.

But then, he didn't have to.

The two Elites, obviously good comrades, sheathed their swords, and grabbed few grenades they'd scavenged, including a pair of Incendiary grenades. They threw them at the front of the mob, and five immediately caught fire, accidentally stepping on the fires. Then, three more were set a flame due to the fact they stood too close to their brethren. They all died after five seconds of trying to pat the flames out, the heat tearing through them and burning their organs.

Which left twelve Brutes, not counting the Chieftain. Bit more acceptable odds.

John grabbed the Sniper rifle again, and aimed at the doorway the Brutes would be forced to go through. As Johnson would likely say: it was a turkey shooting.

Indeed, they went down quite fast. Three died from headshots, the bullet piercing the helmet armor, and two died from hitting a spare propane tank which, though not killing them on its own, made them stumble, off the dam and into the water. And Brutes were so heavy, especially in that armor, that they just sank to the bottom right away, drowning them.

But then, the Chieftain, wielding a Gravity Hammer, appeared, and it had an overshield activated, one his rifle wouldn't be able to pierce.

He was about to drop it and grab his Battle Rifle, when the Arbiter, jumped between them, even though there were still twenty meters between them. The Arbiter grabbed his Energy Swords, and stabbed both of them into the Chieftain's back. They shields held at first, and the thing tried to swing his hammer back. But then they failed, and the Arbiter managed to put the blades into the back. The Brute missed, hitting only empty air, and turned to the Arbiter, snarling. Then, apparently losing a vital organ, toppled like a felled tree. The other Brutes, enraged, jumped out, attacking.

The Chief then spotted something that could be used to his advantage.

Only half of the area they could stand on was steady ground/building. The other half was a steel catwalk, over a fifteen meter drop on the dry side of the dam, with a lot of sharp metal debris on the bottom that could spear the Brutes.

And the catwalk's supports, below, were halfway rusted through.

He threw a Plasma grenade at the nearest support, and provoked the Brutes into charging by firing at their weapons, damaging them beyond immediate field repair. They charged angrily, and the others followed.

And, as they stood on the catwalk, the grenade went off. The Catwalk itself buckled, and the Brutes swayed, off-balance. The Elites, noticing the plan, all jumped onto steady ground. Then, the weight no longer equally distributed, they catwalk tipped to one side, and the Brutes all fell off, to one side. Only one or two managed to grab the side of the Catwalk. But they fell, as the rest of the supports gave way, and they all fell. As John looked over the edge, the Brutes were all either pierced by all the sharp edges of metal, or crushed by the catwalks, which all lay on top of the Brutes.

"Serves them right." Reynolds said, as he looked down as well.

The Chief didn't waste any time, and he crossed the dam, and walked up to the storage shed. Inside, Johnson, Banks and Wilson sat on the ground, locked in the back of the shed behind a Covenant Energy Shield.

Wilson looked up, and he grabbed his cards, putting them away again.  
"This isn't as fun as it looks." Johnson said. "Cut the power."

the Arbiter walked in, and obliged by shooting at the emitter.

"We're even." the man said, as he grabbed a Plasma Repeater. "As long as we're only counting _today_."

"But we don't." Wilson said, grabbing a Needle Rifle. Banks grabbed a Carbine. "So lets get moving."

Johnson nodded, and he moved out of the shed. Reynolds greeted them. "What took you guys so long? Were you having a party without me?"

"Yeah, we invited your girlfriend over as a stripper." Wilson said sarcastically. "keep it moving."

"Hocus, ETA?" the Arbiter asked.

"Imminent, Arbiter." the pilot answered. "Find some cover: I'm gonna clear a path."

the Arbiter nodded, and then looked up in apprehension. "Better make it quick. I've got two Phantoms incoming."

"Don't worry. Your buddies, Narsk and Mahkee, they've got a pair of surprises for them." Hocus answered. "watch yourselves. Kilo 23 out."

the Chief got out of cover, as he spotted the Phantoms coming in as well.

And one stopped to hover right in front of him. With the front looking at him.

Great.

John and the others jumped back inside the shed, with the two other Elites, too far away, went back into cover at one of the generator rooms of the dam. The other Phantom hovered over it, pinning them down and deploying more Brutes.

Barely five seconds of fighting passed, however, before three ships appeared, swooping in on the Phantoms. One was a Pelican, likely Hocus.

The other were two green Phantom Gunboats. The Gunboats each fired on the purple Phantoms, destroying them after only a few shots of firing. The one hovering over the dam swerved a bit, before exploding. The majority of the debris fell into the dam, blocking the way back. The other Phantom turned to engage the newcomers, but was overwhelmed and put down. It crashed on the brutes buried under the catwalk. Hocus cleared the rest of the infantry, before swooping in, hovering near the Elites.

The chief, and the others, made their way to her, and boarded. As he came aboard, he caught a conversation between the three ships.

"-uncovered, at the edge of the ruined city." an odd sounding Elite said. It was likely a female.

"It's over a hundred kilometers across. It sure ain't the object we're seeking, though." The one John remembered was called Narsk said.

"I copy. We'll avoid going near it. Make it back to the True Commitment, and inform the Shipmaster we've recovered him." Hocus said. "I'm going. Signing off."

she then turned, as she noticed the new passengers. "Good to see you, Chief. I'll take you to Crow's Nest."

John nodded, and he went back to the Crew bay, as they left the Dam: Wilson, Johnson, Reynolds, Banks, the three Elites and him. John sat down, and he looked out the hatch, letting his thoughts stray.  
He wondered how Blue Team was doing. They were supposed to be back here, after all. Last time he'd checked, they were tracking a cruiser that had breached the perimeter. He wondered what they were assigned to now.

* * *

After fifteen minutes, they arrived at Crow's Nest. They had been given the priority landing pad, upon the base's discovery that they carried the Master Chief. As John exited the craft, things looked dire.

Every spare meter not occupied by the landing Pelican was filled with wounded soldiers, all either heavily bandaged, red with blood, on a stretcher, or all three. About eighteen of them, eight more than the usual recommended load, were immediately put on the pelican, and it lifted off shortly thereafter, after a bunch of cargo crates were attached to the underside.

To John's surprise, there were more than just humans around, though Humans were the majority of the wounded. Grunts fiddled around with Methane tanks, filling up their supply. Hunters were on the edge of the Platform, guarding the perimeter. Elites were all busy tending to cargo that needed to be moved out. Clearly, they were busy evacuating.

Most started talking more, though, after they noticed the new arrival.

"Hey. Check it out."

"No way! A Spartan?"

"For real? You'd better not be-"

"No, man! One's here! We're gonna be alright!"

John focused on the walkway in front of him, however, as the person in charge of the base stepped forward.

Commander Miranda Keyes, former commander of In Amber Clad, and daughter of Captain Jacob Keyes.

"Where'd you find him?" she asked Johnson, as they met halfway.  
"Napping, out back." Johnson joked. "Had to give him a good kick to wake up, though."

Keyes chuckled. "I'll bet." she held her hand out, and John shook it. "Good to see you, Chief."

"Likewise, Ma'am." he responded.

"Let's get you up to speed." she started, as he followed her down a large hallway that likely led to a motorpool down below.

"The Arbiter gave a speech, shortly after we met him in Halo's control room. He, along with a Monitor, showed the Covenant at large the truth about Halo, along with how most of the Forerunners viewed Humanity. The split in the ranks became definitive at that point: The Separatists, consisting of the Elites, Grunts, Hunters and Engineers, have cast aside the lies of the Prophets, and sided with us. The Loyalists, consisting of the Prophets, Brutes, Jackals and Drones, are loyal to Truth to the end."

She paused, as a pair of Elites, talking with an ONI officer (to John's surprise, in the Elite language) walk past, carrying a weapon's crate. On the nametag of one of the officers, John could see her name: ONI interpreter O. Vale.

"The Fleet managed to hold off the ships Regret had sent in for a time. But then, Truth brought in a fleet of ships to oppose us. And even after the ships of the Elites had rallied to our cause after the Arbiter's speech and Cortana's propaganda, they still breached our perimeter above Africa." she paused again for a moment, to let a pair of Corpsmen, and a Grunt medic, to John's surprise, rush past, a stretcher carrying a Grunt in agony.

"That, however, was the only place they commited forces at: East Africa, the ruins of New Mombasa. There, they started digging, using their Glassing beams to uncover something. Hood, along with the Elite shipmasters, are busy keeping the Covenant Fleet contained in that small area. The Admiral will explain the plan once we establish contact."

"What about Halo?" John asked.

"We've stopped it." she answered. "But only temporarily. Now, the Prophet of Truth's looking for something called the Ark, where he'll be able to fire _all_ Halo Rings, anywhere in the Galaxy."

John paused, knowing the implications. "If he succeeds, all sentient beings in the galaxy will be wiped out."

Keyes nodded, as they walked past an armory, filled with weapons of both UNSC and Covenant design. He stopped, however, when he heard a humming. One that immediately made him grab the nearest weapon, a Shotgun, and point it at the thing.

The humming of 343 Guilty Spark. the Monitor.

"Reclaimer!" it said, as it rounded the corner, and approached them. "I'm glad to see you're still functional." it paused, as it spotted the weapon. "You can lower that, Reclaimer."

John held his weapon raised, not trusting the Monitor for a second. "On Halo, you tried to _kill_ me, as well as my allies. Why should I trust you?"

"Protocol dictated my response." The Monitor defended himself. "Your now-absent Construct had the Activation index, and you were going to destroy my installation." Spark paused. "You _did_ destroy my installation. But now, I have only one function: to Help you, Reclaimer. As I always should have done."

John stood frozen for a moment. After the betrayal on the first Halo, he didn't trust the robot for a second. If Six were here, he knew she'd shoot it regardless. But the Monitor was still intact, and everyone else in the base seems to have accepted the droid. Reluctantly, he put the shotgun on his back.

"Thank you." Spark said. "Now, I'll tell this part of the situation." The Monitor said. "No one knows where the Ark is, not even me. Part of a Compartmentalization protocol. But on this very planet, in the region the Covenant are excavating, there is a Portal that will lead straight to it. The Meddler seeks to activate it, to gain passage there, using the only known Lightway engine."

"Lightway engine?" John asked, skeptical.

"A Forerunner Portal generator that, using power from a planetary core's heat and the local atmosphere, can generate a portal anywhere, even another galaxy. However, it was never properly finished, and can only open one to it's edges, or just slightly beyond the Outer Rim."

"But most of the information's irrelevant at the moment." the Arbiter interjected, as they arrived at the Ops center. "At least until the Prophet is stopped."

Before anyone could respond, a com officer called for their attention.

"Ma'am, Sirs: I have Lord Hood, as well as the Supreme Commander."

"Patch them through." Keyes immediately ordered. Sure enough, after a moment, two faces appeared. One was of the trusted elderly man that was in charge of the human defense: Lord Hood. The other, an Elite, wore the armor of a Field-Marshal, only with more intricately detailed plates, and more bright lights running along the seams than Fol had. Also, the plates were black in color.

"Good news, Commander?" the Supreme Commander asked. Keyes smirked. "Good as it gets, Supreme Commander."

"So I see." Hood said knowingly. He then turned to him. "What's your status, son?"

"Green, Sir." John answered.

"Glad to hear it. Commander Keyes and Supreme Commander Naitol'ee here came up with a good plan. But without you, I wasn't sure we could pull it off."

"Why not, Sir?" John asked, curious. Surely, Blue Team could have done this without him.

"Because you're the only Spartan currently present in the star system." Hood answered. "We received a distress call from Dr. Halsey, and she requested Blue Team's presence." the Admiral paused. "We've had no contact since their departure."

So Blue Team was out of contact, likely behind enemy lines. Nothing they hadn't done before. John wasn't worried. Sure, Halsey, and by extension Kelly as well, needed help. but Fred, Sam and the others had been sent, making that at least five Spartans present. They would be fine.

"But anyway." Hood continued. "Commander?"

Keyes obliged, and grabbed a datapad, bringing up the image of two Covenant AA-gun variants, a Mantis and a Tyrant.  
"Truth's ships are clustered above the excavation site. And his infantry has deployed Anti-Air Batteries around the perimeter. But, if we neutralize one or two of the batteries, punch a hole in Truth's defenses..."

"We'll initiate a low-level bombardment of Truth's vessel." Naitol'ee finished. "Hit the bastard in the weak gums of his, and send him running to whatever hiding hole he's found."

"We only have a handful of ships available," Hood said. "due to the fact the majority's busy keeping the rest of the Covenant Fleet at bay. It's a big risk. But I'm confident y-"

at that moment, all power cut out, and the room was swept into total darkness. Even the emergency lights didn't kick in.

"Aww, not again." Wilson said.

"Emergency Generators, now!" Keyes ordered.

"Shielding failed. Down and charging." a Grunt reported.

"As soon as they're up, reestablish contact with the Admiral. Let him and-"

They were, however, interrupted, as all displays went back online. But only the displays: No lights, and no consoles. And the being displayed on the displays was the one they were out to kill right now.  
"You are, all of you, vermin!" the Prophet of Truth boasted. "Cowering in the dirt, thinking what, I wonder? That you might escape the coming fire?" he leaned forward, taking on a threatening look. "No! Your worlds will burn until their surfaces are but Glass. And not even your precious _Demon_ will live to creep, blackened from its hole to mar the reflection of our passage."

John paused for a moment to think. If he was mentioned in particular, and the reference to the dirt...

They were about to come under attack. Great.

"The culmination of our Great Journey." The Prophet continued. For your destruction is the _will of the Gods_! And I? I am their _Instrument_!"

then, the images were replaced by the logos of the UNSC, the usual screensaver, and the lights came back on, along with the humming of machinery.

"Cocky Bastard." Johnson said. "Just _loves_ to run his mouth."

"Does he usually mention me?" John asked. Keyes immediately got the hint, and turned to the Ops center officers. "Give the order. We're closing shop."

"Ma'am?" Wilson asked, confused.

"We're about to get hit." she explained. The officers and technicians got the hint, and they immediately scrambled to arrange the evacuation. Keyes walked away from the main displays.

"The wounded. We need to get all of them out."

"If I have to carry them myself." Johnson reassured her, as he went back to the landing pad they'd vacated only minutes earlier. Wilson, Banks and Reynolds grabbed some weapons, and took up cover positions near the exits to the room.

"Ma'am, Squad Leaders are requesting a rally point." one com officer called out. "Where should they go?"

Keyes pulled out her pistol, and pulled back the slide. "To war." she answered. She turned back to John and the Elites.

"The Covenant are likely to enter through the Hangar. Unfortunately, that's also our main hole we let the wounded drip out off. I need it clear ASAP."

He saluted. "I'll get it done, Ma'am." and with that, he went down the stairs, following the arrow that pointed to the Hangar. Across the way, he came across an open cavern, where he saw Stacker and Dubbo help other Marines and Grunts set up defenses to stall the Brutes, like setting up mines and barricades.  
He walked up to a weapon rack, and grabbed more ammo for the Shotgun he'd picked up, as well as a Carbine. The three Elites, who had decided to follow him, all grabbed fresh Plasma Rifles and a Battle Rifle, DMR and Assault Rifle each.

Dubbo, having spotted the Chief, walked up to him. "We're with you, Chief. Point us the right way, and we'll cover you."

John pointed to the only other exit out of the caves. "Follow us to the Hangar. We're covering the wounded as they're evacuating."

Dubbo and the others followed, as John, and the Elites, all went to the Hangar. Eventually, they came back to the long hallway.

Brutes had apparently already breached the base perimeter somewhere, as they were in a firefight with a group of Elites and Grunts, with two of the Elites manning Shade turrets. John fired at a Brute Captain wielding a Brute shot, which was the only one presenting a real threat to the Shade turrets. It, however, wasn't interested in the turret any longer.

It was interested in killing him.

John ducked back behind the cover of a truck turned over earlier in the fight, and felt it shake. But then, he heard a loud rumble, and he looked out his cover again.

Hunters had rounded the corner of the hallway beyond the Brutes, and, with the Elites and Shade Turrets, had them in a crossfire.

John got out of cover, and fired at the Brute Captain with his Carbine, dislodging the Helmet. The shade gunners, recognizing the threat, finished it off, cutting it down with a barrage. The Brutes, five of them now remaining, were cut down by the Hunters, Marines and other Elites. Afterwards, the Elites and Grunts nodded in gratitude, and they held the line. John and the others continued on, onto the Hangar.

It was clear, for now. About four Pelicans were up on racks, waiting to take on passengers. Two Spirits and two Phantoms, all green, were hovering on the Hangar floor right now, taking on wounded humans, Grunts and Elites, along with the necessary medics, as they looked.

He Looked around for the nearest officer, which turned out to be, to his surprise, Lieutenant Mattock.

Upon seeing him and the Arbiter approach, she smiled. "Need my help?" she asked jokingly.

"Actually" he responded in kind. "I'm here to help you keep your backyard secure."

Mattock chuckled. "Glad for the help, although we don't need it just yet."

A pair of Purple Phantoms approached, just as the Spirits and Phantoms carrying the wounded left the Hangar.

"Speak of the devil, Lieutenant." One of the Elites, N'tho, if John remembered correctly from stray comments, said. "And he will appear. Next time, don't spoil the moment."

Mattock hit her own forehead. "Shut me up next time I say something like this, just hit me to shut me up."  
"Will do." the second, Usze said, as he raised his DMR, and fired at the first Brute that emerged. N'tho raised his own Battle Rifle, and joined in firing. The Arbiter jumped up, hanging on to a steel tube. He climbed on top of it, and balanced on it towards the formation of Brutes, firing on them from above while hidden behind said tube himself.

John decided to go for his usual approach: He fired with his Carbine from the top of the stairs, and downed a pair of Skirmishers that emerged. Three more jumped out and ran for cover, but they were ambushed by a Hunter Pair who came out of a side entrance, and they crushed the Skirmishers with their shields.

John was glad the Hunters were now on _his_ side.

He turned his attention to the main Hangar Floor, as a Brute Chieftain emerged, wielding a big hammer. It had spotted the small entrance the wounded and doctors had come through, and was making its way towards it. John fired at it with his Carbine, trying to draw its attention. The Brute, however, wasn't going to be deterred, and was almost at the door.

The Arbiter, however, disagreed. He jumped down from the tube, and landed on top of the Brute, Energy Swords stabbing into the Shoulders. The Brute, surprised by the extra weight it received, toppled. John made his over in one good jump, and pulled out his Shotgun, firing at the Brute's head. It was blasted apart.

"Wipe those bastards off the deck!" A marine goaded his allies on, as he fired a turret at an increasing number of Brutes. Soon, a pile had started to rise directly underneath the Phantom landing zones.

John had an idea, and he grabbed the grenade belt of a Brute Shot. He stuck it with an active Plasma Grenade, and threw it inside the Grav-lift of one of the Phantoms just as it left. The explosives went off, and the Phantom, heavily damaged by the internal explosion, started to whine in a high tone, before exploding. Just as it passed a Phantom filled with Brutes. The other Phantom listed, hitting the Hangar wall. It skidded off, and crashed to the floor, stopping right in front off the Master Chief.

N'tho and Usze fired at some glowing points on the underside of the Phantom, and threw Incendiaries at the hatch just as a Brute tried to pry it open. The Brute howled, as it caught fire, and crashed into its brethren. After only ten seconds, every seam of the interior glowed, as an inferno consumed all the Brutes, who had been caught by surprise while they all still lay on the floor. John turned back to the main battle.

It was almost over. That Phantom had seemed like the last one for now, and Mattock was leading Dubbo and the Hunters in sweeping for stragglers. Soon, Mattock appeared again, followed by two ODST's holding a beaten Jackal of the Ibie'shan variant. They held it with its side to the hangar opening. Mattock mockingly made a few kicks.

"Kind regards from Elysium City." Mattock said angrily, as she kicked a final time, for real, against the neck of the Jackal. It snapped.

Usze approached, and gave a good kick to the head again. The power of the kick was great enough that the head shot away from the body, the neck too weak to hold the body and head together.

"Clear." he said rhetorically. Mattock chuckled.  
"Good thing Ollie isn't here. She'd have just shot it and put it in the trash."

"Amen. Speaking of her..."

John ignored the rest of the conversation, as he returned his attention to the wounded. "Continue." he called out. Soon, the wounded resumed coming out, and they filled the Pelicans to capacity, including hanging medical supplies from the underside. After a minute, the wounded stopped coming, and the Pelicans closed their hatches, and the ships took off, heading for a Halcyon Cruiser in low orbit.

"Ma'am, Hangar's clear. Wounded are gone." he reported.

"Johnson here. Get back to the Ops center, Double time! The Drones and Brutes are pressing hard."

"We're on our way." the Arbiter said, as he headed back the way they came. Mattock and Dubbo followed, as well as the Elites. John jogged to catch up.

He caught up, as they entered the hallway to that motorpool again. For now, it seemed the Brutes hadn't made a second attempt at breaching this hallway, dissuaded from engaging the now-hostile Hunters.  
They were almost at the Cavern connected to the Ops center, when they saw what Johnson had meant.

The only door that connected the Ops center to the cavern was sealed, blocked by what seemed to be a broken sewage tunnel pipe. But there were Drones there, trying to move it, both by pushing and by attempting to lift it away.

There were dozens of Drones in that room. Blast, there were hundreds! Crawling the floor and ceiling, climbing and hanging from the walls, flying across the room. Literally, they filled nearly every space inside available. They were all aiming Plasma Pistols at the door to the Ops center. If they breached, the swarm didn't even need to aim: All they had to do was swarm the room and shoot anywhere. No one would survive.

Stacker, along with Banks, two and three Elites, were there to greet the Chief just before he reentered the cavern.

"Chief, Lieutenant." Banks greeted them. "The Drones overwhelmed us, coming out of that pipe and the vents. We are the only survivors."

"Take this." An Elite said, dropping a Flame Thrower at the Chief's feet. Dubbo grinned.  
"Pest extermination, here we come."

The others all raised their rifles, and they entered the room.

The Drones, as one, all turned to the group in surprise, not firing for a moment as their astonishment overcame their hive-like drive to kill. John used that moment to his advantage, and unleashed the flames on the bugs. Fortunately for them, the Bugs were so numerous he didn't have to aim with the large, unwieldy thing: the Bugs were everywhere, and every time he held down the trigger until the barrel overheated, a dozen bugs caught fire and dropped. The bugs opened fire, but it was of no consequence. They either missed, or hit their own due to the fact the cavern was so full.

Soon, however, the Drones started to get smart, and half of them retreated to give the others more room to fire. The five Elites all dropped deployable Energy Shields, to give the others a moment of reprieve.

"Anyone have a better idea?" Dubbo called.

"Stick your head out and draw attention." Mattock said, in her best imitation of Johnson's voice. "We sit back and watch as you are torn to bits."

"I even brought popcorn." Banks joked.

John shook his head, and let the Flamethrower lean on the Shield, as he aimed it at the concentration of bugs near the door. They were mostly out of range, and the napalm only hit rock. But one flew too close, and the wings caught fire. It buzzed around the cavern in panic, hitting its brethren as it flew. And not just near the door, but also near other areas. Soon, John only counted about twenty five, give or take a pair, instead of the hundreds that filled the room earlier. Of course, half were still in wait, hoping the others would draw away attention and ammunition.  
Then, having an idea, he looked up, towards the pipe the section from earlier had broken away from. The stuff in there didn't so much look like sewage as like...

 _Oil!_ It wasn't a _sewage_ pipe, but likely an old _oil_ pipe from the twenty-fourth century Jungle Wars that eliminated the various bandit groups in the African Jungles. The part he and all Spartan-II's had gotten from Allison smiled. The pipe holes were out of range of the Flame Thrower, unfortunately. Still, there were other means of igniting it.

He turned towards one of the Elites he had met in that jungle. Usze, he remembered he was called. "Still have one of those Incendiaries?" he asked.

Usze tossed him one without turning his head, firing away at the Drones with his DMR. John nodded in thanks, and reeled his arm back for the throw. Then, he raised himself out of his cover, and took a dozen Plasma Pistol shots before he managed to throw it at the left Pipe entrance. He ducked down just as the last shot downed his shields.

Still, since his cover consisted of a see-through shields, he could see the satisfactory result. The Pipes were aflame, and the bugs inside were cooked or burned by the heat. Some tried to get out, only to be shot by Dubbo and the others as they emerged, the buggers already outside distracted by the spectacle. The Arbiter, understanding the Chief's plan, threw his own incendiary at the other pipe hole, and the other half of the swarm in hiding was burning as well within five seconds. The Bugs still out there, realizing they were now under threat and outgunned, tried to flee. But they made the mistake of huddling up, and John fired at them with his Flamethrower. Only five were too far away to not be hit by the flames. The Elites finished them off, their marksmanship showing by the fact they all made headshots.

They all got out of cover, and Banks gave a kick at a dead bug in his way. It flew to a small puddle of water, and splashed in. The others all went across the room to secure it and load up on ammo.

John moved to the pipe section blocking the door, and pushed it away.

"Johnson, it's clear."

"I copy. Opening the door now."

Indeed, after a moment, the door opened, and a few Marines, including Reynolds, moved out to secure the cavern. John and the Arbiter took it as their own opportunity to go back inside. They made their way up the stairs, and got into the Ops Center.

Where Johnson, Wilson and a pair of technical officers were handling a large device, with Commander Keyes visible on the main view screen.

"-on a timer, it might go off by itself." Wilson said. "Look, just be- Johnson, put out that cigar. It might go off."

Johnson huffed in indignity, but spat out the cigar and stomped it out. Upon seeing the Spartan and the Arbiter, Keyes drew their attention.

"Chief, Arbiter, have a look. A little going-away gift for the Brutes."

"A Thermobaric bomb." Wilson explained. "Linked with smaller charges throughout the base, it will definitely give the Brutes a seared skin."

"Johnson, as soon as the evacuation is complete, start the timer."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good luck, everyone. See you on the last pelican out." she disappeared from the screen. Johnson opened a door, as he let Wilson and the Techies handle the bomb.

"The Brutes have taken the barracks." he explained, as he opened a side door. "Some Marines and Elites are trapped inside. Those apes ain't much for mercy, Chief. We _both_ know what they do to prisoners."

The Arbiter nodded. "We'll get them out. Just have an evac craft ready."

"Keyes will handle that." Johnson reassured him. "Don't worry: We'll be ready for the barbecue."

the door opened, and John went through first. The Arbiter, along with the two Elites from the Jungle again, followed through. After they were through, the door closed, and he heard heavy locks engage.

John led the way, as he had spotted an arrow pointing ahead, with the word _Barracks_ written underneath it. "This way." he said. They followed the arrow for two minutes, apparently without much resistance. They did hear, over the intercom, that the Brutes had retaken the Hangar, along with the armory and the main hallway, apparently the one close to the motorpool.

Later, though, just as they arrived at the main entrance, they saw the entrance had collapsed, and that the vent hatch had collapsed into the tunnel as well.

"Dead end." the blue one with a visible face, N'tho, said. "Now what?"

A howl came from further down the hallway, and they all turned. A Fuel-Rod gun-carrying Brute War Chieftain, accompanied by a Brute Pack, came across the farthest corner, and had spotted them.

"Two options." John answered. "We fight them, and try to find another route. Or we jump down the shaft, _maybe_ fight a few bugs, and exit near the auxiliary fire escape near the landing pad. I vote for going through the vents." A howl came, as the Brutes started berserking.

"I say we jump down and avoid having our rear ends shot for a change." N'tho said, firing his Battle Rifle.

"I second that." the other Elite, Usze said, as he threw a Plasma Grenade, forcing the Brutes to break of their berserk.

"Carried, unanimously." the Arbiter said, as he jumped in. The other Elites followed, and John covered his new allies, firing at the Brutes to slow them a bit. He jumped in himself, after the War Chieftain fired the Fuel-Rod gun at him, and he had no other option to avoid being hit.

He landed in a blue-lighted Ventilation tunnel. The Elites, wary, had their weapons aimed at the various vents that opened into this one.

Just as he was about to make a step in their direction, when the pain started to increase again.

Hang in there, he thought, as Cortana's image appeared again, once again collapsed on the floor, trying to get up, only to collapse in pain. " _You have been called upon to serve._ " she muttered, her voice starting to let the pain seep through. Then, before it cleared, he got a look at her face.

It was filled with pain, fear and desperation.

Before he could react, his vision cleared again, and the pain subsided. He looked up again, and saw that the Elites had barely moved a meter. Looks like they were too wary to move as quickly as they usually did.

"Wait up." he said, as he jogged to catch up to the taller Aliens.

Then, just as he did, a Drone ambushed the Arbiter from the side with a glowing Plasma Grenade in its claw.

Before it could stick the surprised Arbiter, John kicked at the Drone, sending it and the grenade further ahead of them in she shaft. The Drone didn't crash, as it righted itself in mid-air. But it still had the grenade in its claw. And it only noticed a microsecond before the thing went off. Not enough time to throw it, enough time to be incinerated and scarred. It crashed, its entire right half missing, and the left one black with the burn.

The Arbiter looked at the Chief in surprise. "Thank you, Spartan. I would not be standing were it not for your reflexes."

"It's nothing. While I can't forgive you _yet_ , you're on my side. And if you're on my side, you look out for each other. Consider it my duty." He said, though through gritted teeth. He still loathed the species, especially after what had happened on Harvest and during Operation: WARM BLANKET, which had cost the lives of quite a few Spartans. But, as he'd just said, they had switched sides. And they had helped him well so far.

But that didn't mean he trusted them. Far from it: He didn't even trust them not to turn on him at any moment. Sure, their supposed 'Honor' might prevent them from doing it so immediately. But he had no idea what they would do once Truth, and the Flood on the second Halo and High-Charity, were stopped. They might devote themselves to making up for their past crimes, as he overheard some Marines say... or they might turn against the Humans, for the hate some might feel because of the war. The only one he knew he was sure of what he would do was Fol Katarn, the Field-Marshal from the first Halo. And he would go back to his own aberration of a colony called Sang'Katarn. But, right now, he needed the Elites and the others, especially Elites as skilled as the Arbiter and the other two.

They came to the side shaft that lead to the fire exit. "Down here."

"Demons first." the red one, Usze, joked. Or he thought it was one. Not bothering with a response, he jumped down, and, as expected, came at a cavern, with an Elevator leading to the Landing pad he'd entered the base through in front and above him on a separate platform connected to the Barracks, and the door inside to his left. He made room so the others could land as well, and after a moment, the four of them stood in front of the door. The red and blue Elite took position at one side of the door, the Arbiter on the other near the controls. John stood in front, and grabbed something he'd grabbed earlier from the ground, in the Cavern: A Flashbang grenade.

"On my Mark, turn your head away for a second, and then storm in. If you don't look away, you'll be blinded, visor or not."

"So it works like a Plasma Flash?" the Arbiter asked upon eyeing the Grenade. John nodded, assuming it was the Covenant analogue of one.  
The other Elites, the Red Spec-ops one and the Blue Officer in Minor armor, nodded.

John held up his hand, along with three fingers. Then he dropped one, then two. The Elites, catching on, looked away. As John dropped the last finger, he pulled open the door, tossed in the Flashbang to blind the Brutes, and looked away himself. Then, as he heard it go off, the sound fortunately muffled by his helmet, he stormed in.

There were four Brutes, three Majors and a Captain Ultra, holding a pair of human technicians, along with an Elite Zealot, heavily restrained by cuffs and chains.

And John was slightly surprised by the coincidence. It was the same golden Zealot from High-Charity, the one that had helped him free the human prisoners.

John returned the favor for it, by firing at the Captain, shooting off the helmet and firing into the right eye. It dropped dead before it could see again. The three Majors turned to the sound of gunfire, evidently still hearing something beyond the ringing. But they were killed, as the Arbiter stabbed one, while the other two were caught off-guard by Plasma Grenades stuck to them. The Humans and Elite, seeing the grenades, jumped out of range as the Grenades blew.

John helped the Elite, grabbing the Energy Sword the Captain had confiscated and cutting loose the Chains and Cuffs.

"We need to stop meeting like this." he said deadpanned.

"Evidently." the Zealot said. "I know of only eight more prisoners still alive: two Elite Ultras, an Elite Minor, four Human Marines and a Coffin soldier. If we hurry, we might save them."

John nodded, as he picked up the Captain's Brute shot, and handed it to the Elite. The Technicians grabbed the Spikers, their looks showing they hadn't a clue how they should use it, yet their shaking stances saying they were too afraid to move while unarmed.

"Lead the way, Brother." The Arbiter said.

"Is it too much to hope for an empty Barracks now, and that they are gone now?" the blue Elite asked.

The Arbiter shook his head. "Were it so easy."

* * *

Twenty minutes and thirteen packs of dead Brutes later, the company emerged. It turned out there were more prisoners, as the Brutes sent everyone they captured to the Barracks. And they had captured a lot of prisoners, either for entertainment or for food. Thel was happy that they had arrived when they did. In total, they had about ten Elites of various ranks and divisions, including a pair of Rangers, thirteen Humans of similar diversity, two wounded Grunts and a single Hunter, its Bond Brother killed. And that excluded the original party of three Elites and a Spartan.

They all herded onto the lift to the Landing pad, the Spartan being the last one to board. As soon as the door closed, the female pilot called Hocus called in. "I'm already there, Arbiter, as well as Mahkee. Wait: I've got movement. Above _and_ below." the Pilot paused, and Thel heard the familiar sound of a Grav-lift flying by.

"Brutes!" Mahkee called. "Those animals have got Jump-packs!"

"They're going after the Thrusters." Keyes said over the com. "Shake them off, Pilots!"

Just as they arrived, the Phantom and Pelican lifted off, out of range of the Brutes. Thel got out his Carbine, scavenged from a weapons crate in the Barracks, and fired at the Closest Brute. On the Landing pad, as he could see, there were about thirteen Brutes, and most jumped away and out of reach.

The Spartan fired away at another, as he saw it trying to flank them. The Arbiter helped out by throwing a Brute Spike Grenade at the area where it would land, and was satisfied to see it being ripped apart by the spike shrapnel.

The others tried to stay on the walkways, knowing they would be outmaneuvered if they stepped onto the pad itself. But the Hunter, still enraged by losing its Bond-brother, ran onto the platform. It crushed two Brutes by hitting them with his shield, and killed three more by firing at a crate close to three Brutes, the crate carrying explosives apparently. The Brutes appeared in a white flash as it blew.

But the Hunter was killed, as a hammer-carrying Chieftain jumped onto the platform, and hit the exposed eels at the Hunter's back. It collapsed onto the ground as its spine was severed.

The grunts, distraught at the loss of their comrade, grabbed a pair of Plasma Grenades, and suicide-charged at the Chieftain. It swatted them aside like flies, the grenades exploding harmlessly near the Platform edge.

The Arbiter put away his Carbine, and grabbed his Energy Sword. He turned to the Spartan. "Keep the Jumpers occupied." he said. Then, without waiting for a reply, he charged the Chieftain. The Brute, eager for a challenge, charged as well. Thel, expecting this, jumped to the side, near the edge of the Platform. The Brute adjusted his course, in an attempt to ram Vadam off the edge.

Just as he hoped. Thel, moments before the Brute hit, slipped to the side, and grazed the Brute's legs with his Energy Sword. The Brute, surprised, and wounded, stumbled. And its legs slid over the edge. It managed to grab hold of a grate. The Arbiter stood on it, and looked down on the thing. The Brute looked up in anger.

Thel severed the Brute's hands with his Energy Sword. It screamed in pain as it fell, into the water below.

Thel returned his attention to the main battle. The Ranger Elites, seeing their side needed an advantage to the maneuverability of the Ranger Brutes, had activated their own Jetpacks, and had taken flight, firing down on the Brutes below with their Focus Rifle and Concussion Rifle. Thel got back to the walkways before the Brutes could surround him while he was in the open.

But he needn't worry. The Spartan, true to his reputation, had managed to kill over seven of the Brutes, and the Rangers, aided by the others, had managed to pin down and kill the others near the door to the pad control center.

The Pelican and Phantom returned. The majority of the soldiers, including Usze and N'tho, got onto the ships, with only a handful waiting.

A Blast came from below, followed by gunfire. As Thel moved over to look, he saw Johnson on the vehicle road below, along with Wilson, Mattock, Stacker, Dubbo and Banks, moving to the stairs that led up to the pad. They were followed on their heels by a swarm of Drones.

"I'll cover you." Johnson said, as the Marines all ran up, and got onto the ships as well. Thel aided Johnson in dealing with the Drones, and the Spartan moved onto the Stairs to flank the Drones as well. After a moment, realizing the bad position they were in, they returned to the vents they came from.

"Brutes... in the ops center... they've disarmed the bomb." Johnson said, obviously recovering from a long battle and run. "Sorry commander, they were too many. Even for me and Mr. New-Zealand."

"Shut up." Wilson said. "Or I'll kick you off at the first opportunity."

"Children." Keyes muttered. Then, she returned her attention to the others. "Chief, Arbiter: Get back to the Ops Center. Kill those Brutes. Rearm the bomb. Me and Mahkee have got to get these people out of here. But I'll radio with another exit."

"Good luck." Mattock said. "And _try_ not to be in the base when that bomb goes off."

the Spartan, to his surprise, and likely everyone else's chuckled. "I'm not planning to."

The Pelican and Phantom lifted off, as just he and the Spartan remained. The Spartan took the lead, as he led them through the base. It was now, to their surprise, filled with Jackals of the Ruuhtian and Ibie'shan variants, who were scavenging around, grabbing everything of value. The things seemed disorganized, so there wasn't much resistance at first. They even made it to a section they'd passed when headed to the Barracks, and they followed it back.

But the resistance, as said, was light only _at first_.

They came to the hall that led to the Ops Center. And the Jackals here were reinforced by Brutes, and they were far more committed to the defense of the area. As such, Thel was immediately forced to take cover to prevent himself from becoming a Hedgehog, a spiked creature he'd learned was native this planet.

He hid behind a turned-over Truck, as it provided ample cover while he could still see the Brutes around the corner. There were about ten Brutes and four Jackals, all of the latter armed with Carbines and Beam Rifles. Thel knew he had to make his glanced quickly, or risk being shot in the head. Jackals, despite their bloodthirsty and greedy nature, were excellent Snipers.

The Spartan had taken cover behind a large stack of crates on the other side of their corridor, holding, and clumsily reloading, an Assault Rifle with one hand, while firing beyond his cover with a sidearm with the other. Thel was satisfied that at least one Jackal died from the Spartan's shots. But then, the sidearm was shot out of the Spartan's hand by a T'vaoan Jackal they'd previously missed, one carrying a Focus Rifle. Thel got out of his cover a bit to get a proper aim. But, as he'd surmised earlier, he was forced back into cover almost immediately, as the Brutes opened fire on him with their Spikers.

As Thel let his shields recharge, he turned to the Spartan. "How do you plan to get past all this, Demon?" he asked.

The Spartan threw a pair of Frag grenades, and fired with his Assault Rifle at a Brute trying to flank him. "I'm open to ideas." the Spartan retorted. "Just keep fighting."

Thel shook his head, and moved to the slid between the Truck itself and the trailer that had tipped over as well. He slid his Carbine in between, and opened fire on the unsuspecting Skirmisher, who was distracted b the Spartan. Thel managed to shoot it in the head in one go, and shoot another of the Ibie'shan Jackals, before he was forced to duck into cover again. Then, the Spartan threw a pair of Plasma Grenades over his own stack of crates, and managed to stick a Brute.

"Johnson." the Spartan called to the Dark-skinned human sergeant currently on the evac pelican. "Got our escape route?"

"Yep. A Service Elevator in the hangar. It leads to the garage below, which exits into the savannah. Reynolds even has a Warthog ready. Why?"

The Spartan looked down, obviously formulating a plan. He then turned his head to Thel, and shut off his com. "On my mark, run like hell for that door, and lock it. We might be able to skip those bastards, and just head straight for the Ops center."

Thel nodded. They needed to make up for lost time, and this encounter was dragging on far longer than they could afford. He nodded in agreement, and let his Shields recharge. Then, as the Spartan nodded as well, the Arbiter sprinted out of his cover, and made for the door to the Ops Center. He made it first, and stood behind the door, ready to push it closed once the Spartan ran through. As soon as he did, he pushed it, and as it closed, locked it and shot the lock controls. The Spartan aided as well, by grabbing a weapons closet, and putting it in front of the door with ease.

"That should buy us some time." the Spartan said, as he grabbed a Shotgun from the closet in compensation for the lost sidearm. "Lets go."

Thel nodded, and he followed the Spartan into the Ops Center.

They immediately ducked into cover, as the room was filled Brutes. They had damaged most of the consoles, and he could see that it was of no use as an Ops Center anymore. The only things still visibly intact were the main view screen and the bomb itself.

To Thel's surprise, quite a few of the Brutes, eleven in total, had their armor stripped, apparently too heavily damaged to be worn efficiently.

Then Thel got a look at the leader, a War Chieftain. One carrying a Fuel-Rod gun.

The same one that had attacked them on the way to the barracks. Apparently, it had taken on another objective.

On the Viewscreen, the Prophet of Truth appeared, and the Brute bowed in reverence.

"We have taken their command center." the War Chieftain reported.

"Have you discovered how they plan to stop me?" the Prophet asked. Thel looked over, to his companion who had taken cover as well. But he held his head down, seemingly in pain. Thel had observed it in similar states as soon as he'd been recovered from the Jungle, and the Spartan had initially dismissed it as residue damage to his helmet. But this long after the crash? That couldn't be it entirely. He made a note to ask the demon about it later.

"Not just yet, holy one." the Chieftain responded to Truth, obviously fearful of the Prophet's reaction. It obviously hadn't yet completed the task it was assigned, and he was fearful of Truth's infamous wrath.

"Find me what I need to know, or your place on the Path is forfeit. Tell me you understand!" Truth threatened angrily. The Brute quickly nodded. "Yes, Noble Prophet. It _shall_ be done."

Truth nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good. Contact me once you have their plans." and with that order, Truth disappeared from the screen. The Brute turned to the subordinates. "Have the Drones scour these machines. Found out what these _Heathens_ know about the Ark!"

Thel raised his Carbine, prepared to engage them should he be spotted. From the corner of his eye, he could see, to his relief, that the Spartan had gotten out of his reverie, and had his weapons prepared as well, raising his Shotgun in the process.

The Spartan, however, didn't wait around to be spotted, and hit the back of a Brute's neck with the stock of his weapon. Thel raised himself as well, and shot two more unarmored Brutes before they were aware of him. The remaining eight Brutes all turned around to face the new foe. The War Chieftain roared, and tried to grab his Fuel-Rod gun. But Thel was ahead of him, and shot at the spare ammo clips on the Brute's armor. The shot hit, and the War Chieftain was engulfed in a green explosion. When the vapor cleared, the Brute was still standing, but the armor was gone and gun was half melted, the barrel bent away at a 90º angle. The Brute, however, didn't care. He dropped the heavy weight, and charged. Thel backpedalled, and fired at it, trying to hit the head. He fired all the way until his Carbine clicked, indicating it was empty. He then dropped it, and got out one of his Plasma Rifles, still backpedaling. Then, he managed a lucky pair of shots, and the Chieftain fell over. Thel put the rifle away, and picked up his Carbine from the ground, reloading it.

Only four Brutes remained, three of which had their armor removed, and the fourth in a grapple with the Spartan, both having draw combat knives in their hands. Apparently, the Spartan had taken a hit earlier, as the gash Thel had seen earlier on the armor had been deepened. Thel fired a headshot at the three Brutes without armor, and took them down. The fourth turned around as it heard the shots. But the Master Chief, taking advantage of the distracted Brute, kicked it off of him, and picked up a Plasma Pistol, charging it. The Brute raised his own red Plasma Rifle to fire on Thel as it got up, but the Spartan fired the charged bolt, stripping it of its armor. The Brute whirled around, back at the Spartan. But Thel fired his Carbine. The Brute, a new hole in its head, dropped down.

Thel stepped over to the bomb, and activated it again.

"Bomb's armed, Arbiter." Keyes said. "Good work. But I'm not getting a signal from the timer itself."

The Arbiter started searching for what would seem like a timer. The Spartan stepped forward, and pressed another button, next to the one Thel had used to reactivate the bomb. The display reactivated, and showed a timer.

It started at Three minutes, and started counting down.

Thel was stunned for a slight second at how short the countdown was, before he turned around and ran.

* * *

John dropped the Plasma Pistol and SMG he had picked up earlier, and sprinted down the stairs the moment he saw the amount of time he had. He only hoped Cortana wouldn't disturb his vision again, as it had earlier in the Ops center. He still recalled it, how she had dimmed slightly. And how she had repeated words he'd heard decades earlier. They were the earliest he could remember.

" _You will be the protectors of Earth and all her Colonies._ "

The words, except for the earliest ones, seemed to be repetitions of things said earlier by others. The last few were the words Halsey told them when they'd been taken into the Spartan-II Program.

As if summoned by the mere thought, another Cortana moment came, making him slow down to avoid a stumble, both because of his blurred vision and because of the sudden stab of pain in his neck. Her image, as usual, was the same, only from a different view: laying on the ground, leaning on her arms before collapsing.

" _There will be a great deal of hardship on the road ahead._ "

Blast! Why do they have to come _now_ , when he didn't have an abundance of time? He shook his head to clear it faster, and continued running. The Arbiter had passed by him, and was ten meters ahead. John resumed his sprint, and caught up again. But then, just as he managed to finally reach the hangar, only a minute still left, he had another moment. Blast, the Gravemind must be having the time of his life if he manages to reach him this often in this short a time.

" _You will become the best we can make you._ "

John got up again, and made his way over to the Elevator, ignoring all hostiles he saw. They had bypassed dozens of Brutes, Drones and Jackals on the way, apparently surprised by the speeding hostiles. But they had all raised their weapons too late to stop them or, in the case of the Drones, were flying away from the bomb as well. And now, in the Hangar as well, they ignored all targets, and just made their way to the elevator in an alcove to the right.

The Arbiter had already arrived, and beckoned him in. But John briefly looked back as he rounded the corner, and saw that flames had started to come out of the door he ran out of barely ten seconds earlier. Realizing he was out of time, he ran as fast as he could, and skidded underneath the door, which the Arbiter wisely had started closing. He slid underneath barely a second before it did.

Then, as he felt them start to descend, another of the moments came, indicating Cortana was being tortured again. He realized he had to reach her quickly if he was to save her at all.

" _This place will become your home._ " she said. John looked up, as did the Arbiter. They both either swallowed, or cursed.

The Flames had burst through the door, and they were starting to reach down the shaft.

Headed for their elevator.

John jumped to the side of the cage, trying to reach a ventilation shaft. The Arbiter did likewise.

But in the end, they failed. They went past them too fast, and they fell back into the cage.

The heat above melted the mechanism holding the cables in place, and soon they snapped. The cage fell down at High speed.

The last thing John heard, as the darkness of the bottom of the shaft settled in, was a single sentence. From Cortana, even if he couldn't see her.

" _This place will become your tomb._ "

* * *

 **There. The first part of Halo 3. Enjoy, review, and until next time.**

 **Gharst Omenlumin**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again. I apologize for the delay, but I have two _very_ good reasons: I was busy furthering the outline of my AU, as I only had a few goals for beyond this story, but nothing on how to reach them whatsoever. and two: Darth Malak was a very hard pain in the ass to defeat, as was Darth Nihilus. and Kotor proved too much of a temptation for me. Still, I hope you can forgive me for this. **

**Rest assured, I'll try to upload again at a faster pace.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, otherwise the Flood would have been more horrifying and more difficult to defeat, as well as that the level Cortana would have been far more difficult.**

 **Requests: 1. I would still appreciate any review I can get, and it would be very helpful.**

 **2\. Also, in relation to this AU, feel free to suggest OC's for later (Followers of Graves, the Legion, or anything you feel is missing). it's not that I'm inspirationless at the moment, but I'm not that stupid that I don't listen to what my readers have to say.**

 **3\. As I stated in my first story, Halo: The Flood, I have no Beta readers. If anyone is interested, feel free to message me.**

* * *

Halo 3: The Ark

Chapter 2

* * *

 _Wake up, Reclaimer!_

John looked around, as he moved through the field. He was in the middle of nowhere, by his definition. All around him he could only see Grasslands, and he was without armor or weapons. In fact, all he wore were some odd civilian clothes: A white hoodie and Black leather jacket, finished with chin-high boots and jeans. Not to mention a ridiculously large hat. Also, the sky of the planet he was on was, for once, devoid of any kind of ship, Covenant or UNSC.  
And yet, despite all of this, he felt happy. At peace.

 _Reclaimer! Wake up now!_

He saw a figure in the distance, and he started walking towards it. It seemed quite a bit distant, but he could do nothing else at the moment. As he sprinted towards it, he noticed it was not one figure, but in fact a row of them, spreading further and further as he approached. After a minute of running, he finally got to the first one, and held his breath.

It were his fellow Spartans, both living and dead. Crippled and fit for duty. All were in civilian clothes. Allison, James, Solomon, Arthur, Daisy, Soren, Serin, Randall... the list of friends he saw went on and on. He approached one of those that had died, Keichii.

"Kei?" he asked, referring to his fellow Spartan by his nickname. "How are you here?"

Kei didn't react. In fact, he didn't move at all. Like John wasn't even there.

He took another look at his fellow Spartans. All ignored him, looking straight ahead.

 _Are you still alive, reclaimer?_

As one, all Spartans turned to look at him. Then, as one, they changed in appearance, and all wore armor. They all got a variety of weapons, of all manufacturers. From Assault Rifles to Energy Swords. From Plasma Pistols to Spartan Lasers. From Sentinel Beams to Brute shots.

And all raised the weapons to aim them at him. John raised his fists in a combat stance, but he knew it was an exercise in futility: He would be dead before he made two steps.

Then, they changed again. And John, despite realizing it was an odd hallucination, was horrified.

They all either disappeared, were blown away, or got a new hole in their heads. Whatever fate had awaited them in real life, he got to see again. Allison was burned alive, mirroring the exploding Warehouse she'd died in. James clutched his throat, choking in a seeming Vacuum. Serin and Soren mutated horribly, as a result of failed augmentations. Daisy got shot in the back, impaled by Needler rounds, her armor stripped from her. It just went on and on.

Until it got to the living.

Will was split in two by a Hunter's shield, and his halves fell away. Linda was stabbed in the back by an Energy Sword, which came back out her chest. Fred's throat was cut, and he fell onto the ground. Then Sam disappeared, likely in an explosion that vaporized the very atoms he was composed off. Kelly, to his shock, was run over by something, and her legs were crushed, and her neck broken.

John wanted to cry out in rage. He wanted to run over and help his teammates. He wanted to shoot whatever was assaulting his brothers and sisters. Anything that would help. But he couldn't. He was frozen on the spot, immobilized.

The landscape changed, and the grasslands turned into a molten wasteland of fire and ash, molten lava all around him, consuming the corpses of those that had fallen.

Reclaimer, I know you are alive! Respond!

Then, the landscape morphed. Into a odd wasteland, filled with decay and death. The ground he stood on turned from solid and ungiving to slightly bumpy and soft. Almost like...

 _like landing on a corpse._

He looked down. Below, the ground was the color of rotting flesh and decaying bodies.

Like the Flood.

In front of him, the ground rose, and changed shape.

Until it had formed the Gravemind, only much larger than back when it was still below the Library. It laughed a maniacal laughter, spitting out Flood Spores and Infection Forms as it did.

Then, it all disappeared, until there was only a bright blue light, round in shape.

Round in shape...

Those words...

That _voice_...

John opened his eyes. For real this time. Above him, practically floating in his face, was 343 Guilty Spark. For the first time in his life, John was glad the first thing he saw was a Monitor.

"I'm awake." he said, as he forced the nightmare to the back of his mind for later contemplation, when he actually could afford to think about it. "Don't write up my eulogy just yet."

Someone out of his view chuckled, a woman by the sound of it. John got to his feet, and the Monitor took some distance.

They had landed in the Garage, after their fall from the shaft. There were three Elites in sight, a Human woman in a combat suit, and two Marines. He recognized one of them as Reynolds. The Marines were arguing.

"-to Voi, we can join the main assault." Reynolds said. "It's where Keyes told us to go anyway."

"Sarge, have you seen how many Ships are above that place right now?" the other said. "We need to get out of here right now. It's suicide to go in there."

"Then I'll buy you a nice _Coffin_. But we're going in there, _period_! Besides, do you really want to argue with the Chief?"

The second, only now noticing the Chief had gotten up, stood at attention, and saluted. He also shut up, not willing to argue with the Master Chief. John walked over. "Reynolds, report."

Reynolds nodded, and he grabbed his datapad. "We got separated from the main group during the evacuation, and made our way to the lower level Garage instead. We intercepted a message sent to you by Keyes, telling us to head for Voi, a town not far from here. Burks here is protesting because the air is thick with Loyalist Phantoms and Banshees."

The Master Chief nodded. "Understandable. But we must continue on. If we don't get to Voi, we might not be able to take out the AA guns. The order stands: We make our way to the city, and await Keyes' orders."

Reynolds and 'Burks' saluted, though the latter did so hesitantly. "Yes Sir." Both men said.

Satisfied both men would follow him, he turned around. The Elites, along with the woman, were helping the Arbiter up. The Elite seemed to be unhurt by the fall, although he was still a bit dizzy, as he wobbled a bit as he stood. John walked over, and picked up the Carbine the Elite had dropped.

"You lost this."

The Arbiter, upon seeing him and the weapon he held out, gladly took it over. Then, he turned around, taking the others in. "So what is our next move?" he asked.

"Keyes send a message, told us to head for Voi. Likely for the plan discussed earlier. We head over there, and await further instructions."

The Arbiter nodded, as he reloaded the Carbine. "Then why are we still here?"

John took the hint, and headed for the nearest, and apparently only functional Warthog. It was, unfortunately, the troop transport variant, so their personal arms would be the only weapons they would have at their disposal.

John took the wheel, and the Arbiter took the side seat. The others all piled into the back, the woman last. John drove out of the garage, smashing the gates, weakened by the base explosion.

Outside, he met barely any resistance at all. Odd. He had expected that the Brutes would be all over them once they got out, or at least a token guard at one of the exits to the base. But there was no one.

A moment later, he saw why. A Corvette flew overhead at high speed, followed on its heels by a Charon-class Frigate. The Frigate was firing away at the Corvette, which was heavily damaged. After a few seconds, a MAC round gutted it, and it crashed, the pieces landing in the savannah up ahead. Evidently, they were underneath the ground zero of the Covenant Vanguard over the Portal. In the distance, John could make out over a dozen more wrecks, over two third of which of Covenant design. Apparently, the Brutes were taking damage. And the Brutes, not eager to be below the area where the ships might crash, had stayed clear. Keyes, exploiting the Brutes' absence, had occupied the base and hidden in said area. No wonder she had remained hidden for as long as she did.

"Reynolds, try the Commander again." he ordered. Reynolds complied, as he saw from the rear view mirror, and hit his com, starting to call out.

He turned to the Arbiter. "So. What convinced you?" he asked.

The Arbiter looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"What convinced you you should side with us Humans?" he repeated. "It's quite a distance to Voi, and we need to fill the time." he sighed. "So, I ask again: What convinced you?"

"Not one used to small talk, huh?" the Arbiter asked. "Very well. It was the Ora- the Monitor." the Arbiter corrected himself. "He said Humanity had an odd role in Forerunner, being treasured by a select few and hunted by others. This, combined with Fol's words on the planet Reach, convinced me, along with a lot of other Sangheili, it would be prudent to side with Humanity."

John nodded, satisfied with that answer. "Alright. But what of the other species, like the Grunts and Hunters. Why did they defect?"

"During the original explorative missions made by Prophets and Elites, we came across the Hunters, and the Elites were the ones who tamed them. The Hunters remember this to this day, and they all, always, remain loyal to the Elites."

" _All_ of them?" John asked skeptically.

"There are a few... _mentally challenged_ ones who won't side with us." the Arbiter admitted after a moment. "But they number in only the dozens, compared to the millions loyal to the Elites. They're trivial in the matter of the species itself."

"Fair enough." John admitted. "And the other species of the Covenant?"

"The Grunts appreciate us more," the Arbiter continued. "As the Brutes treat them as little more than cannon fodder. Granted, we did so as well for a long time, but we give them better equipment, more refined and improved Methane, less dangerous assignments. The Grunts decided we were the lesser of two evils, and sided with us."

"And the Engineers?"

"They follow anyone who doesn't damage Forerunner Technology. The Prophets happened to be tampering with it, and the Huragok didn't like it. And, since they saw Humans treated said tech better, discounting the Halo Array, they followed us in siding with Humanity."

"And why did the Jackals and Drones not side with you?" John asked, more out of boredom as they drove across the boring savannah, rather than genuine interest. Until Reynolds could reach Keyes, they were in the dark beyond their objective to get to Voi. "I get why the Brutes follow Truth, wanting to replace the Elite's role as the Prophet's guardians and loyal servants, but the others I don't get."

"The Jackals, for all their skills as Snipers and Scouts, are greedy pirates, nothing more." the woman said, joining in on the conversation from the back of the truck. "The Prophets pay them, and they follow their orders. Simple as that. As for the Drones, they are, more or less, unwilling slaves." John glanced back in the mirror, surprised at the woman's knowledge on Covenant species and the political situation. He looked at her nametag, and was surprised to see it was the same woman from the base that could speak the Elite language, O. Vale.

"They are hiveminded, and they listen to their Queens. And the Prophets happen to hold the Queens hostage."

"And so, out of fear of endangering their queen, they are forced to follow Truth's orders." John said, catching on. "Makes sense. When you lose half your armies, you need insurance the other half remains loyal, willingly or otherwise."

"You're right." the Arbiter asked. "But I have a question for you. Why do you tolerate me and my kin, when we have spent so many years exterminating you? On top of that, why do you even _tolerate_ Fol, when he has killed so many of your fellow Spartans?"

John shrugged. He didn't have an immediate answer to the first question. After a moment of contemplation, he said "On that second part, he saved my life multiple times, both on Halo and afterwards. He fought alongside us when he had no incentive to do so. He _earned_ my respect." he paused. "The rest of your kind hasn't. Make no mistake: two and a half decades of genocide against us is _not_ forgotten _or_ forgiven overnight. But you have proven you're willing to side against us, even if it's because you had no one else to turn to. The others accepted you. Therefore, I do so as well."

"But _you_ were the one who spread that propaganda on High-Charity." the Arbiter retorted. "Why did you, given your obvious hatred of me and my kind?"

John shrugged. "I was on my own on a Space Station filled with millions of troops in civil war. I needed to even the odds a bit. This was the only option that came to mind that didn't involve blowing up the station."

The Arbiter opened his mouth to say something, but John didn't let him finish. "Besides, I had heard from Fol, back when I still knew where he was, that your 'Great Schism' would break out soon. I hoped, given what I overheard from a few Grunts on Cairo station, that I could turn the tide of this war back in humanity's favor. _Not_ for your Elites, _not_ for your faith or Honor. Purely for my own kind."

The Arbiter thought about that for a moment. "A very frank and harsh statement. But I suppose, given what has happened over the years and to what desperations we drove you, it would only be logical. But if I had to ask. After the war, what would you do if our species crossed paths again?"

John hadn't thought that far ahead. But he already knew his answer. "I would try to avoid doing so as long as possible. And if we did, I would only attack if provoked. I'm a simple man: If I get shot at, I shoot back."

Vale chuckled. "In the aftermath of this new development, with the Great Schism and all, I don't think the world will be as black-and-white as that anymore."

John wanted to ask more, but Reynolds interrupted.

"Still can't get the commander, Chief. Coms are a mess, and from what I hear, the pelicans are scattered. Best thing now, is to continue putting distance between us and the base. Brutes will start looking for survivors soon."

John nodded, as he managed to find a road. He drove onto it, and followed it onto Tsavo Highway. Above his head was a sign, saying Voi was only about a mile away now.

Then, their peace was disturbed, as they intercepted a distress call.

"I repeat: our convoy's been hit." Stacker said. "I've got wou-" static interrupted the last part of the sentence, but John could guess that Stacker was pinned with some of the wounded.

"I'm on Tsavo Highway about a- east of Voi. Someone, anyone, please respond!"

"Stacker, this is Reynolds. I've got the Chief and the Arbiter here, as well as the Monitor. We're on our way."

"Reynolds! Sure glad to hear your voice, you bastard!" Stacker all but yelled. "Be careful: Brute Choppers are close to our position, and you might run into them."

"Understood, Reclaimer." the Monitor said. "Rest assured, we will exercise caution when we approach you."

John, however, saw they were about to arrive: He could see smoke ahead, as well as a downed pelican.

Then, as he drove up a slight incline, a Brute Chopper sped over them, obviously having tried to ram them but missing the mark. John immediately sped on. Brute Choppers were dangerous, and could wreck his Warthog.

He stopped at an off-ramp, and hid it underneath. He got out, and the others did so as well. Vale picked up an older issue Assault Rifle last seen on Reach, and aimed it above. The others followed suit with their own weapons. John turned to the Monitor. "Spark, your beam melted the main Control Panel back at Halo's Control Room. Think you can take on a Chopper, keep them off our backs?"

"I will most certainly try, Reclaimer. However, the odd vehicles the Brutes use have quite a velocity, faster than I can easily track."

"Just try to keep them busy." John ordered, as he eyed the Brute Choppers as they jumped off the highway. "We need to take them out, and I'm starting to form a plan."

"Care to let us in?" Burks asked.

John shook his head. "I'm not that far yet." still, he walked on, towards one of the Choppers. It spotted him, and turned for a ramming burst, trying to splatter the Chief on its hood. John, however, merely stood his ground. The Brute sped towards him, eager for the kill. The others, including the Arbiter, looked on in incredulity.

At the last moment, John jumped up, and boarded it. He nimbly climbed to the rear, where the driver was, and kicked him out, landing in the seat himself. He immediately turned it around, and fired the Chopper's guns at the Brute, who was just getting up. The rounds quickly tore through the armor, and the flesh of the Brute itself. It was ripped to pieces, with even the arms and intestines flinging away from the shots.

The Monitor, as John could see and appreciate, was doing his job admirably: He had already killed the driver of another Chopper, and was wearing down the wheel of a third with his beam. Soon, the Wheel shot loose, and the Chopper, unbalanced, accidentally sped into a support column for the Highway overhead. John drove to the others, and stopped in front of them. He got out, and pointed at the Arbiter, then back at the Chopper. "Get in, and help Spark. Reynolds, Vale: Get the others to Stacker, and help them out. You two." he pointed at the Elites. "Follow me."

The Elites, though still getting over the fact John survived a near-collision with a Chopper, nodded, and raised their weapons, a Concussion Rifle and a Carbine respectively. The Carbine one, seeing it was the least well-equipped to take on the Choppers, made his way to the unmanned one. Spark, meanwhile, was still firing his beam at a Chopper, and the seat tore from the engine and wheelbase. The Wheels continued on and rammed another Chopper, while the seat area skidded and rolled, before coming to a stop at the trunk of a tree.

"Reclaimer, I've managed to slice into the central operating system of the Portal, and retrieved the most recent status report." Spark alerted them. "The Meddler has uncovered 83,4% of its surface, and will be completely excavated within the hour."

"Can you stop him from delaying it?" John asked, as he fired at the Driver of the second-last Chopper, as the Arbiter rammed the last one. The Concussion Rifle Elite toppled it, and John finished it off by firing at the Brute's head.

"Negative, Reclaimer. I can delay it, however, and will do so once the Excavation's completed. That will buy you the time you'll need to destroy the Meddler's Keyship."

"Do it. Buy us all the time you can." John ordered, as he and the others made their way to the Warthog. He and the others got on, and they drove up the ramp. They were greeted by Stacker, Reynolds and Vale, along with ten others, five grunts and five humans.  
"Glad to see you, Chief." Stacker said. "We split up from the Commander after we needed to rearrange the passengers due to overweight. We were headed for Voi. Will you accompany us?"

John nodded, as he stopped in front of them. Stacker and the others got on, as well as another transport warthog that had survived the crash of the pelican. They drove on, and followed the highway to the city. The rest of the drive, until they got to the city, was uneventful, apart from the fact they picked up a small convoy of friendly Revenants, Ghosts, Specters and Mongooses.

John hoped the rest of the assault would go as good as this.

* * *

Covenant Separatist Faction SuperCarrier True Commitment, Earth Orbit.

Supreme Commander Naitol'ee sighed, as he eyed the Covenant fleet surrounding the portal, which was coming closer and closer to being fully excavated. They still had no contact with either the Master Chief or the Arbiter, though they had managed to reestablish contact with Commander Keyes, who was rallying all her troops at Voi to complete her part of the plan.

He needed to find a way to penetrate the defenses the Covenant had put in place around the Portal, and while the initial plan Keyes and he had cocked up might work, it would take too long. Satellite imaging showed the Portal was nearly fully uncovered, and soon, the blasphemous betrayer Truth would activate it, and gain access to the Ark, where he could activate every Halo Ring in the galaxy. His forces were slightly out numbered by Truth's, even with the aid of the humans. He needed to do something now, or-

"Sire, me detecting Multiple Slipspace ruptures in low orbit, in middle of Brute Fleet." the Sensor officer reported.

"How many?" Naitol'ee asked.

The Unggoy in question looked it over. "This not make sense. Me seeing hundreds of ruptures."

Naitol'ee looked it over. Indeed, they were numbered in over three hundred ships. Soon, they all appeared: Carriers, Cruisers, Destroyers... blast, this was an entire formation of Battlegroups, even accompanied by a couple of SuperCarriers. No ship, Elite- or Brute-aligned, opened fire, astonished at the large quantity of it all.

But the last one to emerge surprised him most of all. It was a human Marathon-class heavy Cruiser. It was heavily modified with Covenant tech, including multiple Plasma Cannons and a Ventral Energy Projector. But its origin was human none the less. On the side, the human name of Great Lance was written on the side.

"Sire, the Human Flagship in the middle's trying to reach us on the coms." the Sangheili com officer said.

"Accept, and put it on the main screen. Oh, and fleetwide too. Hood and 'Utaralee will want to see this." The com officer nodded at the order, and performed his task. After a moment, the hologram activated.

It was a Sangheili female, of all beings. She wore heavily modified Field-Marshal armor, and wore an Energy Sword and a Plasma Repeater on her back. But it was a female. Naitol'ee was surprised. Sangheili woman rarely were allowed to perform in the military, and only if they were so greatly skilled even the Hierarchs could not ignore it.

 _Unless..._

"This is Nera Katarn, Commander of the Sang'Katarn Fleets." the woman introduced herself. "I heard the Brutes were around here, and the new Kaidon wants them gone."

Immediately upon finishing that sentence, the Sang'Katarn ships opened fire, ripping through the Brute lines, and opening up a hole in the fleet in orbit. One ship, the human-built one, maneuvered over the city Keyes intended to clear, and where they were supposed to clear out the Anti-Air defenses. It deployed multiple drop pods, and multiple Drop ships could be seen leaving its hangar bays.

"I request that you mop up those we leave behind," the Katarn said. "so that we can damage that portal beyond activation, and wipe out Truth's ugly hide."

Naitol'ee, as he observed, couldn't help but smile. Her ships, even if they didn't outnumber those of the Brutes regardless whether the Elites would intervene, were in the ideal position to rip the hostile fleet of Truth apart, while only suffering minimal losses themselves. On top of that, it was commonly known that the Sang'Katarn had access to superior technology, not shying away from adapting anything they find. Also, given her exit coordinates and how quickly she tore through the Brute lines, this 'Commander' seemed to be more than competent.

She was brilliant.

"Gladly." he said. "I'll even add a bit of juice to the Colo meat. All ships, I hereby relegate the role of commander of our fleets to Nera Katarn. Follow her commands as if they were my own. Wipe the Brutes from the face of this planet!"

All across both their own and the human battlenet, he got acknowledgements all around, and all were willing to follow the woman who was tearing the Brutes apart.

They might win after all.

* * *

Voi city gates, Kenya, East-Africa, Earth.

John was about to walk into the city, after getting supplies from Johnson and Keyes, who had already arrived at a small toll gate just outside of Voi and set up a Forward Operating Base there. He was agitated: Spark had told him that the Portal was nearly fully uncovered, and enough to activate it. He was delaying the deactivation the Portal right now, but they didn't have much time.

"Incoming!" Wilson called. Upon arriving at the F.O.B, he had replaced Vale, as ONI needed her elsewhere, instead of the middle of the battlefield. Now, he pointed up, as multiple blue, purple and black missiles struck ground around the city. John, the Arbiter and the others who accompanied them all moved to cover, as a trio made their way to their position. All pods went too fast for the Brute Artillery to track, and they all landed without trouble. The trio of pods landed in front of them. And that was when John saw they weren't missiles.

They were drop pods.

The hatch of the closest one blew out, and a golden Zealot jumped out, an Orange Energy Sword in his hands. All non-humans got expressions of shock, even the Arbiter. Most mumbled something indicating of shock.

"It can't be."

"I thought he was held back on Sang'Katarn."

"What?"

John stepped forward, and held his Assault Rifle ready. "Identify yourself." he ordered.

The Zealot turned to him, and stood straighter upon seeing him. "Zealot T'kan Ghan. Raptor of Sang'Katarn. As Humans say, the Cavalry's arrived."

Indeed, multiple aircraft came closer to the city, and started attacking all the AA Wraiths in sight, staying away from the Tyrant and Mantis guns deployed in the old harbors. Also, The dropships coming in deployed vehicles for use in the city, along with, to John's surprise, human vehicles as well. Pelicans flew overhead, deploying Wraiths at the harbor. Phantoms dropped Warthogs and Scorpion tanks.

"Lets get moving, then." John said, to break the pause. "Truth isn't gonna stop himself."

The Zealot, holding his blade a bit higher, smirked. "I will gladly fight alongside the Master Chief."

John got moving, and took the lead as he, along with the two other warriors, an Ultra and a Stealth Elite, moved on, the others fell in line. In total, the company numbered in about two dozen now, all of various species, including Wilson, Reynolds, Stacker and Dubbo. Johnson, along with some of the others, was back at the F.O.B. with Keyes. Mattock and Banks were busy on the other side of the city, trying to break through there with the help of N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham. And now, all of them had help.

A lot of help.

As they moved, they came across the first sign of conflict: A Brute pack of six minors was fighting against twelve Grunts. To John's surprise, the Grunts all wore tough armor, colored in white and blue. He surmised they were from Sang'Katarn, and not the usual separatist Grunt.

As the Brutes advanced, one of the Grunts, the leader by the looks of it, was shot. But, to John's surprise, again, the Grunts didn't falter in fear. If anything, they became more determined, and increased their rate of fire. Some even overcharged their pistols, and unloaded fully charged bolts at the Brutes. T'kan holstered his sword and got out a Needle Rifle. He shot those that had lost their armor, and the Grunts overwhelmed the others.

It appeared that Fol hadn't understated things when he said Sang'Katarn troops were more competent and determined than the standard Covenant soldier. And that was proven here, for the Grunts back at the jungle would have fled (hell, _had_ fled) when their immediate superior had been taken out.

They moved on, and the Grunts joined their assault party. After half a minute of unlocking a large cargo door leading to the harbor, they finally made it to the first Anti-air artillery, an AA-Wraith. It was surrounded by a small convoy of Ghosts and Prowlers driven by Brutes.

It was also already under heavy assault of Sang'Katarn-allied Brutes and Elites, who all fought side by side, although begrudgingly. They were dug in around the harbor docks, taking potshots and occasionally taking out the driver of a Ghost with Sniper fire, or hitting a Prowler with a well-aimed rocket or Plasma grenade.

Three Brutes in Sang'Katarn colors jumped on top of the AA-Wraith, and tried to dismount the gunner and driver. They were, however, forced off, as the Covenant Brutes driving the Ghosts spotted them and opened fire on them. And since the Sang'Katarn Brutes were in the open with the Wraith, they had no cover.

After they jumped off, a Prowler came from behind the Wraith, and splattered them as the Brutes tried to reach cover.

T'kan growled in anger, and raised his Needle Rifle, hoping to take a driver or two out from the dock they stood on.

John, however, saw a better plan in the old customs building on the next dock. Or rather, what stood on the roof of it.

"Arbiter, Raptor, with me. Wilson, Stacker: Give us covering fire from those Prowlers."

Wilson nodded, and he raised out of his cover, throwing a grenade in the path of a prowler. It wasn't damaged, as it braked in time.

But Wilson sure had its attention.

John didn't waste the opportunity, and ran along with T'kan and the Arbiter towards the customs building. The Jackal Snipers, fortunately, didn't spot them until they were already too close for effective firing. T'kan made a point of being the first one in the building, and speared two Brutes with his Energy Sword in one strike, the two charging out after each other. Next, before T'kan had even finished pulling out his blade, he kicked a Jackal out the window into the battlefield below. John let Raptor finish the enemies below, and he and the Arbiter, upon entering, immediately ran up the stairs, shooting a pair of surprised Jackals as they came up. The Arbiter covered John as he made his way to the missile pod. John saw, on closer inspection, that it had broken from its stance, but it was still usable. He hefted it, put it on his shoulder, and aimed it at the AA tank below. He pulled the trigger, held it down, and was satisfied to see eight missiles head for the Wraith below. After the fourth it already started exploding, and the remaining four pods dispersed, locking on to the Ghosts around the tank.

"Hell yeah!" one of the marines with them shouted, and the others, including the soldiers from Sang'Katarn, started shouting similar cheers. "Flyboys are gonna love us for that."

John nodded, but for the rest he didn't comment. Instead, he just ignored it, and got out of the customs building. He marched on to the next cargo door, and got inside the building.

He lowered his rifle. The Elite separatists, motivated by the arrival of the Sang'Katarn reinforcements, had already moved on, and killed those inside.

The Zealot in charge greeted them as they came inside, though he caught his breath when he saw the Golden Zealot that was Raptor.

"Sir" he greeted them. "This warehouse is secure. Beyond is an area with two more AA Wraiths, and we have multiple Mongooses and captured Prowlers ready to take them on. All we're waiting for is you."

"Then let us not waste time." Raptor said, as he headed over to said vehicles. He got into the driver's seat of a Prowler, and multiple of the Elites went in similar vehicles. The Marines and Grunts all waited beside the door, more inclined to attack from the sidelines instead of jumping into the fray.

Then, just as John got onto a Mongoose, he got another moment.  
"I have defied _God_ and _Demons_..." she said, as she shimmered before his eyes. This time, however, it was different: she sat up instead of laying collapsed on the ground, and she had a flicker of defiance in her eyes. It meant that she was fighting back a bit.

"Hang on." he said to her. "I'm coming."

He mounted it, and an Elite with a Rocket Launcher got onto the back seat. Dubbo opened the door for the convoy, and they all spread out, eager to meet their foe.

It was harder than the first one to conquer. For one, this area was more heavily occupied. But, with both the Sang'Katarn soldiers' superb fighting and more missile pods on the northern dock, it was done in under half a minute. John drove the mongoose over to the side of the dock.

"All AA Wraiths have been neutralized." Johnson said. Then, he quickly added. "Standby. Something big closing in on your location."

Indeed, John could feel the ground tremble, as whatever was nearby was getting closer.

"Hope it's not a scarab." Dubbo said.

Then, just as Dubbo finished the sentence, a Deutoros Scarab appeared on the rooftop of the buildings, and came towards them.

"Guess what? It's a Scarab." Wilson said sarcastically, in response to Dubbo.

"Incoming." Raptor warned, as the leg crushed a Warthog underneath.

John immediately looked around, assessing the situation. The missile pods, while effective, weren't packed with enough punch to take it out. The Prowlers and Mongooses weren't that well suited either. That left boarding the thing. But, in order to do that, he needed to disable it first, so it wouldn't move while he climbed aboard. Even if he used the cranes above to try and immobi-

 _the cranes..._

he walked over, and hoped his luck still held out. It did: There was a serviceable elevator that went all the way up to the cranes themselves. He got on, and pressed a button on the side. It took him upwards, and he moved forwards, picking up a Sniper Rifle on the way. As he got to as far as it would go, he crouched, and took aim with the rifle. He fired twice, and was satisfied that two Jackals fell from the side of the Scarab. Linda might be their best Sniper, but he was glad he hadn't let his skills atrophy either.

After he spent the rifle, and half the Brute complement on top of the thing had fallen, he took a few steps back, dropping the empty sniper rifle. Then he grabbed his Assault Rifle, and ran forwards, sprinting as long as he could go. After he met the end of the crane, he jumped, and used his momentum to carry him as far forwards as he could go.

Fortunately, he landed right on top of the Scarab. He immediately aimed in front of him, as a brute came walking up the ramp, investigating the noise. He unloaded half the clip trying to shoot off the armor, and the other half trying to put it down for good. The Brute, not seeing the Chief due to the fact John had landed above it, reacted too late, and the shots it did manage to get off were far and wide.

A smoking rifle, a dead Brute and a reload later, John made his way to the back of the Scarab, where the power core would be. As soon as he spotted it, he grabbed a Plasma grenade he'd picked up, and hurled it to the core. It stuck, and as it exploded, many parts came off. The core didn't overload, however, so John raised his Assault Rifle, and fired point blank into the core.

Sure enough, alarms started to go off, and it started smoking. John finished it off by punching it, and it glowed red soon after.

"Get away!" Dubbo yelled. "It's gonna blow!"

John immediately ran to the front, and jumped off again. As he landed, he rolled, and ducked behind an old sewage pipe sticking out from under the ground.

No sooner than he did, the Scarab exploded, and its glow was visible even beyond the pipe.

"Well done, Chief." Keyes said. "I'm sending in a few Pelicans."

"Two more targets, people." Johnson notified them. "A Pair of Covenant AA guns in the next area, a Tyrant and a Mantis. Take them down and Lord Hood and the guys up there can start their attack runs proper."

John nodded, and he made his way forwards. As they came to a warehouse, a pelican landed nearby, and N'tho and Usze, along with reinforcements, jumped out. They joined them, as the company headed inside, where they came across an emergency field hospital.

Wilson, Stacker and Dubbo stopped here, taking a break from the continuous fighting. They were replaced by Mattock, Banks and Reynolds, who obviously had been there a while, and had had a chance to rest. As they came to the back part of the warehouse the hospital was located in, they came across little to no resistance in the beginning, and John started to think his luck had in fact increased in proportions.

But, as usual, things started going downhill again.

They came across Hunters. One of the few pairs of Covenant Loyalist Hunters the Arbiter had warned about.

"Gharenshak!" the Arbiter said, as he ducked into cover with the others to avoid the shots. John ducked out of cover, and drew its attention away so the others might try to flank it.

But, in contradiction to what he expected, it was Mattock, rather than Raptor, who took the opportunity. She jumped out of cover, picked up a Plasma grenade from a dead Grunt, and threw it at the exposed back of a Hunter. It whirled on her, and missed her with its shield by a mere inch, and she scurried away.

The Grenade exploded as the hunter tried to charge its cannon. The Hunter's back, mostly incinerated by the plasma, was heavily burned, and it fell over in pain. The other immediately turned to Mattock, and tried to charge her. But Raptor, seeing the hunter was exposing his flank to do so, brandished his Orange Blade, and attacked the Hunter. He slashed once as he ran past, and the Hunter stopped. After a second, the top fell of, the hunter cut in half.

Mattock got out of her cover, and nodded in thanks to the Elite. Raptor just shrugged, and they all moved out of the warehouse.

There, they came across an attack by a lot of Sang'Katarn forces on the Tyrant cannon. And John was surprised to see who was leading it.

Fol Katarn pulled his own Energy Swords out of the chest of the Brute Chieftain in charge of the defense of the cannon, and kicked the Brute into a group of Plasma barrels, which all exploded upon impact, already damaged by previous weapons fire. Upon doing so, he holstered his blades, grabbed a Human Assault Rifle, and went inside the cannon, along with an even taller Field-Marshal. Ten seconds later, as John and the Arbiter approached, the Elites ran back out, and the cannon exploded.

Upon seeing the Master Chief, he stood up straighter, and made his way over. The taller Field-Marshal followed, and stood a bit straighter as well.

"Chief." he said. "Good to see you."

"Likewise." John honestly said. Truly, Fol was the only Elite who had gained his trust and respect, both by his acts on Halo and in that cave on Reach. "But what are you doing here?"

"Cleaning up your mess, that's what." he said, before pointing at the taller Field-Marshal. "This is the Sang'Katarn Battlemaster, Kal Katarn. My brother, and in charge of all Sang'Katarn forces."

The Elite in question just grunted, and went another way than where the other cannon was, obviously having a different objective. Fol, however, stayed with the Master Chief.

"Where's Six?" John asked. "I understood she was joining you on some mission or another."

To his surprise, Fol laughed. "To her chagrin, back up with the Fleet."

"Why?" the Arbiter asked confused. "From what I understood and remember, she was one of your very best."

Fol looked thoughtful, considering his words. "Lets just say that on Sang'Katarn, she managed to greatly change the management, and she's still dealing with the repercussions."

"What repercussions?"

Fol didn't answer that one. Instead, T'kan did. "She challenged our Kaidon to a duel. He died, and she took his place."

It took a few moments for John to truly register, and when it did, he stopped in his tracks. "Wait. She's the new Kaidon?"

Raptor chuckled. "Yeah. No one else can believe it, either. And yet she managed."

over the com, Johnson laughed. "Hahahaha! This is great! Now we have a _king_ among us!"

Then, Six' voice gleefully came across the com. "Laugh while you can, Johnson. Because as Kaidon, I can send assassins after you for that kind of comment."

Johnson didn't respond instantaneously, and after a moment, Keyes replaced him. "I'm not sure what you said, but Johnson's doubled over in laughter right now. But anyway, Naitol'ee's ships are closing fast. Destroy that mantis, because we're running out of time."

"Understood, Ma'am." Fol said. "Katarn 01 out."

And so, Fol ran towards the next one. John, the Arbiter and the others followed. Reynolds stayed behind with a Grunt and three marines to guard the entrance to the Field Hospital, in case Drones decided to pay them a visit.

Soon, they arrived at the Mantis, which was more heavily defended: Twenty brutes, twelve Jackal snipers and a swarm of Drones defended it.

But they had a Spartan, the Arbiter, Fol Katarn, a whole squad of Sang'Katarn's best, a squad of Elite Separatists, and a squad of Marines. They would manage.

John fired on the closest of the Brutes with his Assault rifle, and sees the Helmet fall off. N'tho finishes it off with a Carbine round. The others all join in on the fight. The Arbiter brandishes his Energy Sword, and Fol joined him in his Charge on the last cannon. John, Raptor and the others decided to soften up the defenses first, before they did something similarly reckless, mostly by throwing Grenades first. The Jackals tried to kill them with Beam Rifles and Focus Rifles, but it was mostly useless, as they never managed to penetrate the Energy Shields of the Sang'Katarns, before they made it to the supports of the cannon. As soon as those soldiers arrived, half provided cover against the brutes, while the other half got out demolition charges, and started placing them on all the supports. John grabbed his Shotgun, and fired it at the closest Chieftain, driving it back a bit. Fol finished it off by grabbing the arm, and cutting it off at the armpit. The Brute howled, but Raptor finished it off by driving his Energy Blade into the base of its skull, killing it.

"Get back!" Usze warned. "Charges are set!"

John got the idea, and ran back to the outskirts of the warehouses. The others soon followed suit, with only three of the Separatist elites having fallen.

"Boom." Fol whispered, as he pressed the detonator. The Brutes came out of their cover, charging their prey.

And falling victim to the explosions, as the supports of the cannon gave way, and the debris fell down all around them.

John smiled, as he holstered his rifle, admiring the view. The others all did likewise.

Naitol'ee's fleet, of its own an impressive sight to behold, sped over them, and made its way to the Keyship in the center. The Plasma Cannons and Energy projectors already charged. Hundreds of Longswords, Sabers, Seraphs and Space Banshees preceded them, and all fired their payloads at the Keyship.

But it didn't stop, as a Marathon Cruiser flew overhead, and the Sang'Katarn fleet followed behind Naitol'ee's own. And their fleet consisted of far more ships. And, by the looks of it, those ships also had stronger weapons.

"All ships: fire at will!" Admiral Harper ordered. And as soon as he gave it, all ships opened up. From above, multiple Orbital defense Platforms had turned their Super MAC's to the planet below, and they fired at the Keyship. SuperCarriers, Carriers, Cruisers, Destroyers and Corvettes opened up with their Energy Projectors. MAC guns from human Frigates and Cruisers at the back of the line opened up. The fighters all launched their payloads, including a pair of nukes.

They all converged at the Keyship, and the Forerunner space ship was engulfed in explosions. The beams from the Energy projectors all hit it dead center. It started to glow, and after a moment, the beams dissipated. The ship was covered in smoke from the explosions.

But as they dissipated, it reappeared unscathed.

The Portal below it opened up like a starfish, and John could see that it started to descend. He braced himself, as he started to feel the wind increase. Around him, he saw the Marines, along with the Arbiter and Fol, bump into the rock behind them. He looked on, as an Energy Beam shot upwards. Next, a small, blue sphere with a blackness at the center started forming, first barely thumb size, then fist size, then head size, then larger than a Spartan, then larger than the Training Grounds on Reach, before becoming as large as 150 kilometers in diameter. As the Elites, along with the others all recovered, the Keyship took off, and headed for the Portal.

"We're too late." Naitol'ee said. "It's open. He's escaping."

"Indeed." Keyes said. "But we can still stop him at the Ark itself. Let's just evac the wounded, regroup, and-"

"Ma'am, new contact's slipping in." an unseen officer interrupted.

Sure enough, to their left, a Cruiser emerged from Slipspace. It trailed rancid fumes, and John thought he could see something on the underside. He zoomed in with his helmet...

and apprehension grew within him. He recognized that kind of growth, having seen it before on two Halo's.

The cruiser flew over them, and it crashed somewhere in Voi.

"What is it?" the Arbiter asked. "More Brutes?"

"Worse." Fol answered, obviously recognizing it as well. "The Flood."

Upon hearing that, everyone at the very least cringed, at worst vomited.

"The Flood." Keyes repeated. "It's spreading all over the city."

"How do we contain it?" Hood asked.

"Find the Flood ship." Six immediately answered. "Overload the engine and reactor cores. We either destroy the city or risk losing the planet."

"Do it." Hood immediately said in a subdued voice. "Sierra 117, make your way to that crash site. I'll send reinforcements to-"

"Negative, admiral." Fol interrupted. "If you send more troops, the Flood will have more bodies to feed upon. Let us handle it, and have Nera Katarn glass everything if we fail."

After a momentary pause, said Fleet Commander came over the com. "Understood, Fol. In case you fall... it's been an honor."

"Give them hell in my stead." Six said cheerfully, though it sounded forced. John couldn't blame them as they backtracked towards the crashed ship. The Flood has had about two weeks to develop and mature. Who knows what it has developed besides Juggernauts and Carrier forms? It _could_ potentially be a suicide mission, and the others were assuming it was.

John didn't let that stop him, however.

"Reynolds, do you copy? We're headed back. Lock down that building."

"Cop- aaaah!" it was cut off, followed by a loud growl.

"Reynolds!" John called. "Come in!"

only static answered this time, along with distress calls from other Marines spread across the city. John increased his pace, and the others followed suit.

When they arrived at the alley leading to the field hospital, the marines were still there, but they were surrounded by numerous Flood spores and infection forms, as well as a lot of the resurrected Brutes. Their arms were ripped off, replaced by gruesome tentacles. The Marines were too distant to help them, as in two seconds, barely four steps later, they were all overwhelmed and infected. And they started turning as well.

John tried to keep the contents of his stomach inside. During the battle of the first Halo, he had been to occupied with his own survival to actually look at the transformation, only seeing either the form latching onto the chest or the end result, but never the transformation itself. The same went for High-Charity, where he had been too occupied with Brutes and Juggernauts to look at it.

But now, confronted with it and nothing to distract him, he began to see why Six had felt as down in the Flood Containment facility on the first Halo.

The Marines all turned as one to the party, and raised the weapons they somehow managed to hold on to.

John threw a grenade before they managed to fire. Raptor, likely both as a way to show off and to drastically cut down the time until the explosion, shot it with his Needle Rifle, and it blew up. The forms all fell apart.

Before more forms could appear, Raptor turned to the grunts and marines accompanying them. "Leave. Call in pickup. Unless you have vacuum-tight armor, the spores can infect you as well."

Banks looked like he was about to protest, but Mattock, the highest officer after the Spartan and Elites, nodded.

"Yes sir. Johnson, can we get a pelican? The infection risk's too great for some of us."

"Sure, LT. I'm diverting 'Chava to your location right now. She'll get you out."

"We appreciate it." Mattock said. "Just make it quick, would ya?"

"I'll stay here." Fol said. "And cover them until they're picked up. Then, I'll see about finding my Brother."

"Alright." Raptor said. See you up at the fleet."

John moved on after those parting words, as the Marines waited. Then, they entered the warehouse through a side entrance.

And he froze in place.

Reynolds was running towards them, fleeing in panic. But already half a dozen Infection forms were attached to his back and chest, and two more started clutching to his arms as they watched.

Reynolds got one last pleading look at him, before he turned.

John's gut wretched inside. He hadn't known the man long, but he had seen the man plenty of of times since High-Charity, after rescuing the man from the space-station's prisons. The man was a good shot, an excellent talker, evidenced by the fact Wilson and Johnson had gotten along with him well, and even a friend to them.

To see the man now...

"Reynolds." he said to himself, as he raised his shotgun at the soon-to-be Flood Combat form, his heart screaming at him not to. But his mind knew it had to be done, even if he hated himself.

"I'm sorry."

he pulled the trigger.

Reynolds fell apart, ripped to shreds by the blast.

John moved on, regret filling him. This was likely what Six felt like upon shooting Keyes back on the first Halo.

As he and the others arrived in the main room of the warehouse, it was chaos. Stacker, Wilson, Dubbo and a group of Marines had themselves cornered, and the Flood were trying to overwhelm them by sheer numbers, all marines and Brutes that were killed earlier now being infected forms.

John jumped down from the ledge, and joined the marines and ODST, firing at the closest Carrier form. As expected, it exploded, and a swarm of infection forms emerged from the blast. He shot them before they could spread too far, and the chain reaction killed them all. After a few minutes, and a lot of dead forms, the swarm of Flood stopped. Wilson and the others panted, and they had lost three marines and one Sang'Katarn elite. But otherwise, their numbers were intact.

"Head back in that direction." John ordered the Marines. "Pickup is on the way there. You'll be taken away from here." as much as John wanted to have the extra hands, they were more vulnerable to infection, and, with their exhaustion, they would be more of a burden than a help.

The Marines and ODST, eager to leave, immediately ran that way. John and his company moved on, eager to get this over with as well.

And they immediately stopped at the sight of what was before them. Dozens of marines, most of them having bandages and such on them indicating they were wounded, lay dead across the room. They were all shot in either the head or the chest. A single wounded Marine stood near the back of the room, a gun to his head. He was clearly insane, and mumbling.

"It forced me to. It infected them all. The LT, the Sergeant... they were all infected." he said. "I could see it crawling... sliding around beneath their skins!"

He shivered with what he heard. Not that it was new, or particularly horrifying to him. The war with the Covenant and the encounters with the Flood on Halo and High-Charity burned such fearful reactions out of him. Rather, it was how real it seemed to the soldier, just like his hallucination of his fellow Spartans only hours before, when the elevator had crashed.

The similarity to that, the implications... those terrified him. It meant that, despite the large distance between them, the Gravemind had a _connection_ with him.

Through _Cortana_.

He forced himself to get moving, the others still listening to the crazed soldier's ramblings. Raptor, noticing the Spartan had started to move, followed. The others soon fell in line as well.

As they got outside, they returned to the area where they had fought the Scarab. The ground, crumbled away by the rising fins of the Portal, dropped just off the dock of the harbor the area had been.

"Hear, Humans. And take heed!" a new voice called out. John looked up.

A new fleet of ships had joined those of the Sang'Katarn ships and humans. By the looks of it, and the sound of the commanding officer's voice, it were more Separatist Elites.

A single carrier moved to hover over the harbor and the Flood-ship.

"This is the Carrier Shadow Of Intent. Clear this sector, but _we_ deal with the Flood." the voice continued.

"Clear out, R'tas." the Sang'Katarn fleet commander said sternly. John recognized her as one because of her accent, which was similar to Fol's and dissimilar from the average Elite. " _We_ deal with it. Pull your soldiers out. Our Energy Projectors are more thorough, and last longer."

"We have been pursuing that ship ever since she left High-Charity." R'tas retorted. "She has already taken three Corvettes down before coming here. No, _we_ glass her."

"R'tas, you fool. You are a special operations commander, not a Supreme commander. Stand down now, and stop pretending something you are not. Let the experts handle it."

There was a pause, and as John moved on, he almost thought the Separatist would disobey. But the Elite's voice returned, and he sounded resigned. "Very well. I'll deploy troops to support the Arbiter and whoever is with him down there, but then I'll move off."

with that, the Carrier dropped pods down near them, and a group of Zealots and Spec-Ops soldiers came out. John and the others made their way over to them.

"My Brothers." the Arbiter greeted. "I fear you bear bad news."

The Zealot in charge nodded. "High-Charity has fallen, and become a dreaded hive. The Gravemind manifested itself there."

"What of the Fleets?" Raptor asked. "Has your quarantine been broken?"  
"Only the one ship pierced our lines. We gave chase."

N'tho took on an incredulous look, and, as John listened while he armed up from a pod filled with weapons, he frowned as well. According to the reports he got from Cortana, and what he had seen, that station had had a fleet of _hundreds_. N'tho pointed out as much right then and there.

"Alas, brothers." the Zealot reported, as he raised his Fuel-Rod gun. "The Flood... It has _evolved_. It no longer needs tissue to create bodies."

 _Blast! If this were this bad..._ the Juggernauts, which he'd already guessed were pure Flood, were tough enough. But if the Gravemind could create his own hosts...

as if on que, a host of Flood forms jumped down from the nearest rooftop. And he couldn't recognize the original species from any of them. He surmised these would be the first of the pure forms.

The first variant he saw was a weak one, that stood on two legs, and which had a raised patch on its back. That patch was was riddled with needles. Needles which it promptly shot at the Elites and Spartan. It was also able to stick itself onto the wall. It was, however, slow.

The second was similar to a small, sleek predator, and jumping around the place. It consisted mostly of two thin limbs and a pair of claws to attack if it ever got close. It was fast, and obviously meant to compensate for the first one's low speed.

The third was large, had two arms (the right one thicker than the other), and had multiple slits in its stomach one could see through. It was also a head taller than him, twice as thick, and used the thicker arm to swipe everything out of the way.

John tried to raise his shotgun to blast the big one down, but it just shrugged the shots off. And, as John started to reload, it started changing. The arms started to morph, and the legs became much shorter.

It changed into the one with the thin legs.

 _So the things could change shape. Bloody hell._

Just as he finally finished the reload, the thing jumped away, to one of the walls. He ignored it, as suddenly another jumped in front of him, and changed as well.

Into one of the big ones.

He tried to backpedal, but he bumped into the wall, and was cornered by the thing. It swung its arm at him as he tried to aim his shotgun, and it was promptly punched out of his hand. In addition, his shields dropped completely, and as they started to reload, another stood beside it and swung as well. John ducked underneath it, but knew he wouldn't survive if they tried to attack at the same time.

Just as they raised their arms for another blow, the Arbiter and Raptor intervened, both slashing away at the things. The one of the Arbiter, caught by surprised, was slashed in two. The other managed to evade Raptor's attack, and tried to change. Raptor, however, didn't give it the time it needed, and kicked out at it, sending it down the cliff.

The Arbiter picked up the Shotgun, and handed it back to John. He nodded in thanks, and put it on his back, taking out his Assault Rifle. He didn't fancy having to engage those things in close combat again, and the Assault Rifle had more range.

The things, however, didn't give them a rest. The thin-legged ones all jumped to the walls, and morphed into the Needle-patched ones. And they all opened fire on John's group. He and the others ducked into cover.

"You pitiful creatures are nothing but stones in my way." the Gravemind goaded through the forms as he shot away at them. "Pieces of gravel to be stepped upon. You cannot stop me."

Raptor got up and out of his cover for a second, and fired a three-round burst from his Needle Rifle. The Elite was rewarded with a needle explosion, as all three hit the same Needle-patch. John got out of his own cover, and fired a few bursts at the nearest Needle back, before jumping back into cover.

It went so for the next few minutes: the Flood would pin them down with Needle-patched ones, which were soon dubbed Rangers, and the Elites and Spartan would briefly jump out of cover to fire a few bursts, only to duck back into cover. After five minutes, the Flood stopped coming at them, and they advanced.

"Hurry, Demon." an Elite said, as they ran towards the ship. "The Ship is just ahead. Only a kilometer."  
"I'm hurrying." John said, as he ran. "Just-"

"Chief!" Keyes interrupted. "The Separatists are looking for something. We didn't believe them when they told us."

"It's Cortana, Chief." Wilson said. "She's on that meatbag you guys call a ship. You find her and get her off, ok?"

That motivated John fine, and he soon had the lead on the group. As passed through an arch, he saw the ship, embedded in the harbor wall. So far, the area seemed clear. Raptor and the Arbiter appeared by his side.  
"Well." the Arbiter said. "Lets go, then, while it's clear."  
They agreed, and started towards the ship. It was relatively easy to traverse the debris of the crash, and soon Usze 'Taham found a hole they could enter. Just as they were about to enter the ship, however, a feral cry came from the surrounding buildings, and Flood crowded the rooftops. Before he could engage them, he was pushed into the hole, along with the Arbiter, N'tho and Usze. They landed on a ledge that used to be a ventilation shaft before the crash.

"Me and my men will remain here." Raptor called down the hole, as he started firing. "We will let nothing past."

John nodded, and he jumped down the ledge. After a moment, he heard the others with him follow.

He landed in the smudge of Flood tissue. He looked around, as he had a sickening feeling in his stomach.

As he feared, the ship's interior was no more: everywhere he looked, the Flood had forced apart the walls, ceiling and floor. Nearly every surface, except a few ducts, cables, consoles and walls, was covered in Flood. At least, it had to be. It was the same color as the Floodforms and it reminded John a lot of the Gravemind. Also, he saw what reminded him of pumpkins over the walls at random points. To see the reaction, he poked a small one with his rifle.

It burst apart, and three Infection forms jumped out, each jumping for him. He swatted two aside with his rifle, and they burst when they hit the walls. He managed to catch the third, and crushed it in his hands.

He whirled around as he heard a clang, his rifle raised. But, to his relief, it was just the Arbiter finally landing.

"Careful." he said, as he gestured at the pumpkins. "They're filled with Infection forms."

The Arbiter nodded, and relayed as much to the other two Elites as they landed.  
John walked across the empty hollows of the ship, looking across every clear surface, interacting with every console, looking for anything that could hint at Cortana's location.

To John's surprise, they didn't encounter any Flood after that pumpkin-burst. Not even a Juggernaut. "Strange for us to encounter so few foes." Usze mirrored John's thoughts out loud. "Where is it?"

"Likely it sent out all forms to infect as many bodies as it could." the Arbiter reasoned. "It would have no further use for the ship once it landed, so it would abandon ship."

"Like Hunebkies abandoning a sailship." N'tho said in spite. "And just as traitorous."

John moved on, as he let the Elites talk about their common enemy. Just as he got a look at another console, he grabbed his head in excruciating pain. It wasn't a 'Cortana moment'. It was worse. He had experienced this before, and everyone except him and Six had been crippled by it, and he only had been saved from it due to Cortana's help. But now, there wasn't anything to save him here.

Not when the Gravemind was forcing its way into his mind _directly_.

As back then, in the Autumn's cryochamber, the Gravemind spoke in rhyme.

" _ **I am a timeless chorus.**_ " it said. " _ **Join your voice with mine. And sing victory everlasting.**_ "

John felt the pain subside, and looked around, as the weird-colored edge left his vision. To his surprise, though he'd expected it somewhere at the back of his mind, the Elites were doubled over as well, with N'tho even laying on the ground, clutching his head. None were screaming, however, their discipline too great for that. He helped them up, the Arbiter first, as he was the one closest to regaining control of his head.

"What... what was that?" he asked, as he shook his head clear.

Before John could respond, however, the Gravemind spoke again. Fortunately, only now it was through the tissue on the will itself, rather than telepathically.

"The sound of the tables turning, Faithless Flesh." it said. "Time for a test of how long you'll be lasting."

then, John could see a group of five Juggernauts appearing behind them, the wall parting for them before closing again. Ahead of them, jumping down from a hole in the roof, three more came down as well. And all around them, emerging from the tissue all around them, dozens of Pure forms emerged. The other Elites all had regained consciousness as well. Nonetheless, it wouldn't mean a thing: they were outnumbered and outmatched.

John took stock of his own equipment. A picked up shield-regenerating enhancer, a Shotgun with twelve shells in total, and an Assault Rifle with three clips. No grenades. One look at those aside him and he knew the other three were in similar situations. They were had no way out.

Unless...

he looked down. As he'd hoped, the floor, like the walls around them, was thin. It would likely only take a shotgun round at the floor to take it out.  
"Brace." he warned, as he fired a shot. As the round hit, the membrane they stood on was weakened, and couldn't hold their weight anymore. It tore down under their feet, and they fell. John ensured he landed in a roll, and got to his feet quickly.

He turned to the others, who had fortunately heeded his warning and landed on their own feet as well.

But the Flood forms, eager for more food, were jumping down the hole.

"Run." he said, as he went one direction. The others, seeing the threat as well, started to follow. Soon, however, John realized it was no use: the Flood controlled these very walls, the very ceiling and even the floor underneath them.

He stopped, however, when a new glow appeared, and John's suspicions for the thing finally disappeared.

343 Guilty Spark, along with what seemed to be a freed 2401 Penitent Tangent, were flying towards them, both glowing as they charged their lasers. And they held off the Flood, as the company of four found cover and prepared themselves. John, as soon as he had his Shotgun out, fired at the nearest form, giving the Monitors some support. The Elites, if they had them at least, grabbed their Energy Swords, as they were the best anti-Flood weapons the Elites had. Their Carbines were only useful at range, which wasn't often in this Flood lair, and the Plasma rifles didn't take them down fast enough.

The Monitors did well, and they only had to fire for a second at a Flood form before they could change targets. The progress with the others went similarly well: 'Sraom and 'Taham fought well together, keeping each other's backs clear as they fought. And the Arbiter, smart enough to pick up a second sword as soon as he found one, fought the Flood that came too close to the Monitors, holding them off. John himself fired at the Carrier forms whenever he spotted them, as their explosive nature made them natural grenades against the Flood.

But they were starting to become outnumbered again, as the Juggernauts caught up with the main group. And he didn't have Six' skill with a sword to cut them apart.

He needed a plan, and soon.

The answer came in a Flood combat form, who was wielding a Rocket Launcher. He had seen that happen often on Halo, and they had been quite the nuisance. In here, under normal conditions, they could be very deadly.

But the weapon itself was ideally suited to attack the Juggernauts with. John only hoped it carried more than one rocket.

He picked up a Plasma Grenade from a crate not yet covered in Flood smutch, and threw it at the feet of the staggering combat form. As expected, the explosion killed it, as well as several others in close proximity to it... and flinging the launcher in his direction.

He put his Shotgun on his back quickly, and picked it up. Only four rockets were available, two in the launch tubes, and two taped to the side.

He aimed at the first Juggernaut, which was almost onto Thel and the Monitors. He fired just at its feet, hoping the Arbiter wouldn't leap at it at the last moment.

Fortunately, he didn't. It hit between the Juggernaut's feet, and it stumbled. The Combat forms behind it also fell apart, damaged by the shockwave of the explosion. Not as a testimony to the devastation of the shockwave, but to the fragility of the damaged forms.

The Juggernaut wasn't destroyed, however, and it still stood, despite a few patches of loose flesh. John fired the second missile, and started the reload, trusting the others would cover him as he did.

But, just as he finished, the other four Juggernauts ran past their wounded partner, and one went for each Elite.

With the last one headed for him.  
He hastily fired the other two at the joint between the two tentacles and the body itself. It hit, and the explosion and flames burned the tentacles right off.

Then, to John's horror, they started to grow back.

He started backpedaling, grabbing his shotgun and firing as he went, as the Juggernaut still went for him. The other Elites were busy cutting into their respective forms with their Energy Swords, while the Monitor kept the Combat forms busy. John couldn't get help from any of them, he knew.

His back hit a wall, and he knew he was out of options. The Juggernaut was on him, and John could see the central chest area where the infection form was. The thing would, upon grabbing him, surely try to-

 _Infection form?_

He immediately recalled something on the first Halo, back in the original Flood containment facility. Six had, along with Fol, Johnson and a few others, been pinned down in an area before being forced to retreat. But, before they did, they had written something in blood, as advice for other survivors.

 _hit it at the red appendages on the chest_

John decided to follow that advice, and fired at the infection form on the chest. As soon as the pellets hit, the thing reared back immediately, obviously the nerves physically pained. John pressed his discovered advantage, and fired another shotgun round at the weak point, the cluster where the infection form was centered. And again. And again. Each time he hit, the thing reeled back, and retreated slightly. John started to hope a bit. _They might actually make it._

But then, his hope was crushed, as another two Juggernauts, along with a swarm of Combat forms, came towards them from the hole in the ceiling. It would be barely a minute before they were onto them.

"The ceiling!" the Arbiter called. "Fire at the ceiling!"

The Monitors did so, and the tissue burned away.

Revealing damaged hull underneath it. Hull that had been depending on the Flood tissue on the wall to prevent a collapse. Now that said tissue was away, the roof started to give in that area. The passage was soon blocked, as massive Plasma conduits and hull plates crushed the combat forms.

But the collapse didn't stop. The rest of the roof started to collapse as well, like some sick domino effect. It headed straight for them. And it wasn't going to stop.

John kicked the massive, weakened Juggernaut, making it bump into the twin John had damaged earlier. The pair stumbled, and John ran back, further into the passage way. The pair tried to pursue, but they were too late. The roof was collapsing right above them now, and they became pinned. They tried to lash out, but the roof continued to collapse, and they were buried underneath the debris. John didn't waste any time, and continued to run. The Arbiter and Spark followed, and John saw the other monitor and the other two Elites were already ahead of him.

Eventually, they rolled underneath a collapsing roof moments before it hit the ground, and they ended up in what used to be the ship's bridge. The roof was open, as it had been shot earlier, and nearly every surface was covered in tissue, except for a few consoles. But, for the moment, they were safe from the collapse of the parts of the ship.

But not safe from the Gravemind, it seemed. John felt the intense pain he characterized with the Gravemind's attempts to contact him, and he found himself stumbling. He could already see the others were on the floor. Yet, he forced himself to try and remain standing. He would not give this thing the pleasure of seeing him on the ground, broken like a weak Grunt.

" _ **Have you learned nothing as you wandered through this tomb?**_ " it asked. " _ **I have no heart, stubborn fool, and so cannot be broken.**_ "

The pain decreased again, and John was able to focus once more. He found, to his surprise, that he had been able to stay upright. Yet, the first thing he saw drew his attention.

It was a console, and attached to it was a Covenant Memory Unit.

It glowed a bright blue, identical in color to Cortana.  
He moved over to it, and activated it. Immediately, Cortana's avatar appeared.

"Chief." she immediately said, and John started to hope. Right now, despite the things he'd seen during the Cortana moments, she appeared unhurt, active, alive. Like she hadn't been hurt at all. But immediately, her hologram disappeared, and the unit powered down.

Penitent Tangent appeared next to him. "We must take her someplace safe, reclaimer. Here, we cannot effect repairs here. Not when the Flood are knocking at the doors."

John looked behind him. Indeed, despite the fact all doors were closed, they budged every now and then, and underneath the roof they had entered through earlier he could see multiple tentacles trying to squirm their way into the bridge.

John returned his gaze to the Monitor. "I understand."

the monitor immediately fired some sort of beam at her, and he took her up and out of the ship.

Into a Green Phantom John had failed to notice. It activated its Gravity lift, and took them inside. The Arbiter and the others followed suit. As soon as they were in, John moved to observe what was happening.

Two Sang'Katarn Cruisers and a Carrier were busy glassing the entire area around the Cruiser, and the Cruiser itself was the only thing visible above the mist created from the heat. The town of Voi was gone, replaced by a glass surface as unforgiving as the sun. It was that way for kilometers on end. Blast, they likely had glassed half the _Continent_ , from the looks of it.

They were taken to a supercarrier holding position below the Portal. As soon as they all exited the Phantom, they were escorted by a group of Sang'Katarn Brutes to a large conference room.

Everyone John thought would be of importance was there. Hood, Harper, Keyes and a few other human leaders John wasn't in the mood to name, the Shipmasters and Supreme Commanders of the Covenant Separatists, and what appeared to be Sang'Katarn's army leaders. John recognized a few, namely the two Katarn brothers and Raptor, who had survived. Six was there as well, standing at the head of them. He noticed her armor was different. She had new plates on her right shoulder and chest, and her helmet was a CQB instead of her usual helmet.

"Will it live, Monitor?" A massive Sang'Katarn Brute Chieftain with two Gravity hammers on its back asked. "Can it be saved?"

"Uncertain." Penitent answered, as he continued his work. It had put down the memory unit on the conference table, and was busy repairing it. The Arbiter and Spark had moved to join an Ultra missing its left jaws, while 'Sraom and 'Taham moved to the sides of the room, not eager to participate but interested enough to listen. "This storage device has suffered considerable trauma. The matrices are... highly unstable at the moment."

"Perhaps one of our technicians-" Hood tried to suggest, but a Sang'Katarn Elite spoke up. She was shaped differently than most Elites, obviously a female. John recognized her voice as the one of the Sang'Katarn Fleet commander.

"That won't be necessary, Admiral Hood. Penitent Tangent is more than competent enough to-"

Her point was proven, when a hologram reappeared from the device.

"Success!" Spark declared with much enthusiasm.

"Chief." she started. "High-Charity, the Prophet's Holy City, is on its way to Earth, with an army of Flood. I can't tell you everything. It's not safe. The Gravemind... it knows I'm in the systems." she paused, as the hologram froze. John turned to the others, disappointed. "It's just a message."

"Let it play." the half-jaw encouraged. Tangent obligingly sent a short beam at it again.

"But it doesn't know about the Portal. Where it leads. On the other side, there is a solution. A way to stop the Flood without firing the five remaining Halo rings."

she immediately fell over, as a result of an unseen power surge. She collapsed in seeming pain, and she continued despite her agony.

"Hurry, Chief. The Ark... there isn't much time..." and with that, her hologram disappeared again.

"I'm sorry." Tangent said apologetically.

"No matter, Oracle." half-jaw said. "We heard enough. Our fight is through the Portal. With the Brutes, and the bastard Truth."

Several Elites, not only separatists, raised their fists in agreement, and roared in agreement. Hood, however, looked resigned. "Fine. We'll remain here. Hold out as long as we can."

"Did you not hear?" the Sang'Katarn woman asked skeptically. "your world is doomed." she stepped forward, pointing to the device. "A Flood army, a Gravemind, has you in its sights. And you barely survived a _small_ contamination."

Hood stepped forward angrily. "And you, Fleet Commander Katarn, just glassed _half a continent_. Maybe the Flood isn't all I should be worried about."

"One single Flood-spore can destroy a species." the Fleet-commander retorted just as angrily. "Were it not for the council of my Brother and your Spartan" she pointed at the two, with the Spartan being Six, who had her arms crossed, watching the argument. "I would have glassed the entire planet!"

Hood raised his fist in anger, but Keyes intervened, calming him a bit.

"Sir, with respect, Cortana has a solution."

Hood turned to her, incredulous. "Cortana? Did you see her condition? How damaged she is?"

John moved closer, and Spark reactivated the initial hologram, even if it didn't convey the message. He ignored the argument between Keyes and Hood as it continued. He just observed Cortana for a moment, reminded about his promise to her, about getting her back.

"No." The Arbiter said, drawing John out of his momentary reverie. "If the Construct is wrong, then the Flood has already won."

"I'll find Cortana's solution." he said, as he turned to Hood. "And I'll bring it back."

Hood contemplated that for a moment, pacing as he went. "Earth is all we have left, Chief. You trust Cortana enough to put the fate of our species in her hands?" he finally asked.

John didn't even need to think about an answer. "Sir, yes sir."

Hood nodded. "Thought as much. This is either the best decision you've ever made or the worst. Hell if it is, Chief? I doubt I'll live long enough to find out which." with that, he started to leave. But the female stopped him.

"I recognize you don't wish to abandon the planet. As a token in favor of an alliance, I will stay here with the third and fourth Fleets here. It might not stop it, but it should buy you time while they retrieve the solution."

Hood turned, and his anger had left his face. "I appreciate that."

with that, he left, and slowly, the others dispersed as well. John took the moment to step towards Six, who was talking with Fol, before sending him away with Raptor.

"So, care to explain how you went from a soldier to basically a king?"

Six turned, and laughed. "You won't believe it if I told you."

and so, they both spent the next few hours catching up, and John was relieved to hear Gray Team was alright. Six, in turn, was surprised that John was the one who had instigated the High-Charity insurrection. As they finished with what happened at Voi, she took out a small chain of dog tags, and handed it to him.

"Fol explained that earlier in the war he had taken down five Spartans. Two of which were of Noble Team, but the other three were Spartan-II's."

John immediately understood, and eyed the dog tags. They belonged to Daisy-023, Keiichi-047 and Joseph-122. Daisy had been killed on Harvest. he had seen her body herself. Keiichi and Joseph had been involved of a campaign on Imber with Kelly, but had been missing after a large nuke had been detonated in their region. Clearly, Fol had been at that campaign.

Yet, he knew he couldn't truly hate the Elite for it. He had known the Elite had killed Spartans, as the Elite had admitted as much himself. But he had switched sides, and had admitted he actually respected Spartans, and would give them the way out of life they deserved. As such, he found it hard to hate Fol. Anger at knowing _which_ ones he'd killed, sure. But no true hate.

"Well, we did know about it." he said. "Is that how you got your new plates?"

Six nodded. "As well as the helmet. He took the armor home with him, as Trophies. After I killed Reghok, he gave me the armor to replace the damaged plates. In the end, I only replaced the damaged ones."

John nodded. "Understandable. But what will you do, now that you're a Kaidon?"

"I don't know." Six said innocently. "Bomb a Brute city? Kill a few hundred Prophets? Nuke the Ark?"

they both chuckled at that. Six then grew serious. "But I have a question. What is it between you and the Arbiter?"

John looked at her in surprise. "What about it?"

"Oh, don't give me that 'I don't know anything' crap." Six chastised. "Ever since you landed on Earth, you two have been inseparable. He always watches your back, and you don't seem as hostile to him as usual."

John, he had to admit, had been polite to the Arbiter. But he thought that it was because he was the leader of a party aiding the UNSC, and that he shouldn't offend him, or he'd face reprisal. But now that Six actually said it out loud...

"And don't say it's just business. It was that between me and Fol on Halo, and yet look at it now. I talk to him voluntarily about non-important topics, and I don't have an extreme urge to kill the ugly one-eyed bastard."

"I _heard_ that!" came from down the hall. "And I still can beat you any day of the week!"

"Then do it for once!" Six called back provokingly to the Field-Marshal.

John shook his head at the exchange. Six shook her head. "Alright, I admit, I can also exchange jokes with him now. But don't dismiss your Arbiter out of hand."

John tilted his head a bit at the smaller Spartan. "What are you trying to tell me."

"Be social with him, for once." Six immediately answered. "Or at least be polite. And see what comes out of it."

John thought that over. It certainly wouldn't hurt to be polite to the Elite, especially if they were going to stop Truth and destroy the Ark together. And it might even be profitable, as the Elite might give him better weapons should he run out, instead of bad ones if John was a prick. Still, he admitted he still was a bit apprehensive at approaching the one being that led the race that nearly brought Humanity to her knees.

"I'll try." he seceded.

"Good." Six said, turning away. "Now, if you excuse me, I have a _kingdom_ to run."

And with that, she moved away, closing the door behind her.

Leaving him alone in the Conference room.

He was sure now, he'd never get used to the eccentric Spartan.

Still, he left. After all, he said he would try to be friendly with the Elite, and there was no time like the present.

* * *

 **Here you go. the second chapter, after a pair of weeks of long wait. rest assured, I will continue writing this.**

 **I hope I get responses to my requests, and until next time**

 **Gharst Omenlumin**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. I am terribly sorry for the nearly two-month delay between chapters. In short, I have just finished High-School, and I have absolutely no idea where I want to go or where to study, and real life took a priority over this story. also, I have most of my storyboard for this worked out by now, as well as laying the groundworks for another fanfic in the future (rest assured, I will finish this one first).**

 **Note to self: This Chapter seemed hurried to me, so work better on next one.**

 **Note to self 2: I am very much looking forward to the next chapter, which will consist almost entirely of the level Cortana (warned: heavy AU elements will appear then)**

 **Disclaimer: I don' own Halo**

 **Request: I will appreciate any review given, and do my best to follow any advice offered while still attempting to remain original**

 **but enough babbling. you guys aren't here to hear me whine. you're here to read**

* * *

Halo 3: The Ark

Chapter 3

* * *

Thel put down the case of weapons, as he helped Johnson deliver the weapons to the right people. Shipmaster Rotam, after a few moments of consideration about how to decrease tension between the parties of this 'alliance', had suggested giving human weapons to Elites, vice versa and the like, the same with vehicles. Thel, Johnson and a few others had volunteered to help in this matter, as they had nothing to do at the moment.

In the corner of his eye, as he passed a group of ODST's while holding a flamethrower and Rocket Launcher, he saw Commander Keyes and the Master Chief seeing Lord Hood off, as the human admiral left the _Shadow of Intent_. Hood, after all, had to see to the defense of Earth along with Fleet Commander Nera Katarn. He didn't envy the fact they had to fight the Flood head-on.

Still, he wasn't hopeless. The AI Cortana had promised there would be a solution against the Flood on the Ark, and the Spartan believed her. Therefor, he would do so, too. Besides, the journey through the Portal would still take weeks, even with the upgraded Sang'Katarn engines built in all the ships at record time. And the Loyalists, despite their 4-hour head start, were slower, and it was predicted they would only arrive a few minutes before the Separatists caught up. Therefor, once the ground-teams were deployed, it would be an even fight: neither side having adequate time to put up significant defenses.

He helped stow away the last of the weapons before he started wandering. He had weeks, and while most humans had opted for Cryosleep or Stasis pods, about a hundred, including Johnson, Keyes, a handful of soldiers and the Spartans, chose to stay awake and get better acquainted with their new allies.

He wondered about the second Spartan, the shorter female. The one who had delivered him a scar at the eyebrow. She had the respect of many, gained by the fact she had somehow become the Kaidon of Sang'Katarn. And yet, he saw that she returned the respect. Surprising, considering the hatred she had spewed against his kind in earlier engagements on Halo and Reach. Nowadays, instead of trying to kill his people, she helped train the inexperienced ones, like Narsk and Mahkee, in various skills, while training with the more experienced ones to become better. He had heard, by accident, that she was also an ' _amazing, hot-crack pilot_ ', having trained at Reach in the 'Saber-Program'. He didn't know what that was exactly, beyond that it was likely some type of spacecraft. But he supposed that with the battle of the Ark ahead of them he would soon find out.

He found himself near the area the humans still awake had dubbed the 'mess hall', which was their equivalent to a dining room. Since he had nothing else to do, he went inside.

Multiple of the Humans, of which he could only identify the lieutenant Mattock, the marines Banks, Dubbo and Stacker, and the group of ODST's identifying themselves as 'Alpha-Nine', were sitting around a table, playing some sort of card game. Since he had time to kill, he moved over, interested in how it was played. The others only looked up, before turning back to the game. Clearly, he was in luck. Most humans would have glared at him or asked him to leave. But these seemed to be more tolerant of him. He grabbed a chair and sat down, observing.

The game, which he learned was called Poker, involved betting, bluffing and having a specific arraignment of cards, each card and combination with a different value. The one with the best combination won the game. For the most part, an ODST named Buck and the lieutenant Mattock were the ones winning, with Dubbo and an ODST dubbed 'Romeo' winning an occasional one as well. Still, Thel couldn't figure out all the combinations of cards that were actually valid. Not being one to play games like these, he left the table, saying a word of goodbye as he left.

He continued wandering the massive ship, coming across many Sangheili, Unggoy and Mgalekgolo as he did. His mind, without something to occupy it, started to wander, thinking over the events of his life up until now. Once, he was of a high rank, though not as high as it was now. Kaidon of the large city-state of Vadam, he had held great prestige on his homeworld. Wherever he went, he was respected. True, many rival clans wanted to assassinate him and claim his power, but he had thwarted them all, and annexed them in retaliation. As was Sangheili custom, the price of failure of such a coup was high, with the entire bloodline of the one ordering the hit wiped clean.

In more recent years, he had been a Zealot of the Covenant, commanding troops in the field. He had led armies on the front lines, commanding them to victory. He had operated as the head of Zealot strike forces, eliminating key opposition points to ensure a smoother victory for the main army. It had allowed him to show his prowess as a warrior to the rest of the Covenant, and he had managed to climb the ranks well.

Then, he was a Shipmaster, a Fleetmaster, and even Supreme Commander for a time. He had eld fleets to victory against overwhelming odds a few times, and even normal victories (which back then were simply exterminations of humans) had been made with less casualties than with other Fleetmasters and Shipmasters. He had been the brain behind the Covenant War Machine for a time, ensuring the will of the Hierarchs was done in a way as grand as possible, yet costing barely a hundred Unggoy. A hundred were easily replaced, considering the breeding habits of the species.

Then, the Halo had been found, and destroyed barely a week. He had no immediate way to address it. Back then, he would have called it a debacle. A disaster, even. Now... he didn't know what to call it. After all, the treachery of the Hierarchs was now revealed, as was the true purpose of the rings: The destruction of every living thing in the Galaxy.

He supposed he should be thankful of the humans, and the Spartans in particular, considering the fact they were the ones to have discovered the truth first. He made a note to confess this to them one day.

Then, after that, he had been stripped of his rank as Supreme Commander, and given the rank of Arbiter. A badge of Shame back in the days of the Covenant that were so close behind him, he had been filled with purpose. Bent on regaining his Honor. After all, what greater way to regain a portion of lost glory than to die in battle for a glorious purpose?

But that image had been shattered by the long-expected betrayal of the Jiralhanae, and the completely-unexpected betrayal of the San'Shyuum. Not to mention the battles of the days afterwards. The Dem- the Master Chief had warned him of the truth, as well as the Flood and the corrupted Monitor. Considering them enemies at the time, he naively had denied their truth without a true thought. How surprised he had been, whe-

"Mind if I join you?" a new voice interrupted his thoughts. Thel turned to his left.

It was the Master Chief, the 'Last Spartan', as some referred to him. A fitting title, considering the rest were all unaccounted for, likely dead. Thel nodded. "Of course not, Spartan."

The man nodded, and they walked in silence. He noted that neither of them was unarmed, but still relaxed, clearly trusting the other enough to not do anything rash or foolish. He glanced at the Augmented human.

"Not joining your comrades at the Poker table?" he asked.

"I'm not much of a better, and I never read the rules anyway." the Spartan answered. "Not joining your comrades in the dueling rings, observing the Sang'Katarn practice?"

Thel shook his head, sure the Spartan saw it. "I have seen enough duels to last a lifetime. And in spite of the impressiveness of the Sang'Katarnéé duels, I have no interest in watching."

"And participation?" the Demon asked.

Again, he shook his head. "I'm sparing my energy. No point being hospitalized because of a dueling accident when we emerge from that Portal."

"Touche." the Demon said. They both lapsed into silence again. Thel looked at the Demon.

The Spartan had the newest generation of his armor, barely a month old. He knew because this one was new, and he hadn't seen it anywhere else before. And yet, despite that, he had already managed to get a gash across the chest plate, a plasma burn by the looks of it. It must have been a large bolt, for it to be that large. That meant either an overcharged Plasma Pistol bolt, or a glancing blast from a Wraith mortar tank. Thel sincerely hoped it was the former, for if it was the latter, this Demon was far more dangerous than even his _reputation_ led on.

"Amusing." the Spartan said, as they emerged in the observation bay to the Starboard Plasma Cannons. "In all these years, despite your best efforts to defeat us, here we are, side by side, close to watching the stars and a trio of massive cannons."

Thel thought that over. Indeed, the hatred both species had for each other was deep, ingrained by a war that was so massive it had lasted two generations, and nearly led to the extermination of one side. And yet, the greatest champions of either side stood alongside each other in peace, contemplating events.

"Amusing indeed." he said, half to himself.

"And yet, we're off to war. To kill beings bound on exterminating all life in the galaxy, even if they don't know it yet."

"Yes." Thel said to himself. "Amusing indeed."

* * *

Nera Katarn kept one eye on her sensors, he other on the screen showing Hood, Naitol'ee and the other shipmasters. Together, they had agreed that it was best to put Nera in charge. While she was blunt and, admittedly, inconsiderate of how people thought of her way of commanding, she was the best strategist and tactician they had on hand. Even better than the Human Admiral, Hood. Hood himself was at the back of the fleet, in closer orbit over the planet, forming the last defense. Nera and her two Sang'Katarn fleets formed the first defensive line, and Naitol'ee had multiple of his own lines stretched in between. In short, it was a sound defense formation.

Just as she was about to ask for a status report from the Line Commanders, her sensor pinged.

"Incoming Contacts emerging from Slipspace." the Yonhet at the Sensor station reported. "Scanning..." he relaxed. "Human design, if a bit eccentric. Scans show they're clean of infection."

Nera nodded. "Raise them as soon as-"

No sooner she said the words, the Com officer, a Brute, spoke up. "Ma'am, the flagship is hailing us, and Hood specifically."

"Tell him to accept, and listen in on it." she immediately said. "They're either insurrectionists out to help, or an independent colony trying to figure out what's going on. Either way, I want to know."

"Yes, Ma'am."

after a moment, the holographic system was activated, and a man in his sixties appeared. He had grey hair, and had a grey military uniform. He also wore a beret.

Hood appeared next to it. The latter immediately took on a grim expression, as he spoke up.

"General Spencer Mahad." Hood said emotionlessly.

"Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood." the man said evenly. "I received that speech-call from that 'Arbiter' guy. Is it true that the Covenant's arguing amongst itself?"

Hood paused. "In more delicate words, but yes. And half of them are helping us, so be polite."

Mahad chuckled humorlessly, and Nera noted the man was smirking falsely.

"Figured as much." the man's smirk disappeared. "As much as I hate to admit it, I'm here to help."

Hood's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?"

"Where would I get my best Imports without you? Where would I sell all that Ore I'm finding? you're my best clients. As much as I hate to say it, I need the UNSC. Therefor:" the man took off his beret, and put it to his chest. "I, General Spencer Mahad of the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces, temporarily relinquish my Fleet to whoever is in charge of this massive armada."

Hood looked surprised. But before he could respond, Nera joined in on the channel.

"General Mahad, this is Fleet Commander Nera Katarn. I am in charge of these ships until the situation is resolved. Do you promise to not break rank, even if the devil himself is in front of you?"

It was a valid question, considering it was speculated the Gravemind was telepathic and could induce hallucinations. Therefor, he could very well make Mahad hallucinate he saw a devil.

But Mahad's expression didn't change. "Did Crocodiles of old have teeth lining their jaws? I swear upon my mother's heirlooms that I will keep the line even if hell itself, filled with Demons and all, came knocking at my door. This, I swear."

Nera nodded. "good. Now, di-"

"Fleet Commander!" a Sangheili shipmaster interrupted. "Another incoming contact. A single one, but it's huge! Coming out right in front of our first lines."

"High Charity." Mahad said. "I heard the reports. Where do you want my ships, Ma'am?"

"Form a line in front of Hood's ships." Nera immediately ordered. "Our ships will take the blunt of its assault. As soon as any Spores breach the atmosphere-"

"I've managed to correlate its course." the T'vaoan at the nav station reported. Then, its face began to grow nervous. "Oh, Gharenshak. It's headed for the _Portal_."

Nera moved over to oversee the course. Indeed, it was in a direct line with the Portal, and headed straight for it. On that note, no active weapons systems could be detected. All power seemed to be directed to the propulsion systems and... shields...

Wait a minute...

 _Oh, Gharenshak indeed._

"Everyone, Scatter!" she called. "It's going to _ram_ its way through."

"What?" Naitol'ee asked. " _Ram_ it's way through? Is the Gravemind insane?"

"Possibly." Nera answered bluntly. "But unless someone has something of a large enough mass to physically stop it, we have nothing that will prevent it from entering. So stay in front of it... if you want to be smashed to pieces."

Needing no more incentive, all ships moved out of the way as the massive Space Station sped past. To the credit of the gunners, half of the ships opened fire on High-Charity anyway, as a token show of resistance.

The station returned none. It deployed no Flood Dispersal Pods, no ships filled with infected beings, no contagious rocks. Nothing was sent in return.

They all watched in silence, as the thing flew into the portal.

"Nav?" she asked. "How far behind the Arbiter's forces is it predicted to exit?"

"Three hours, Ma'am. Tops."

Nera nodded. She turned to the other commanders. "It looks like the AI's message is either obsolete or a ruse. Either way, the others are walking into a trap." she highlighted the Portal. "Keep an eye on that portal. Shoot anything that shows signs of Flood infection. And have the Huragok ready to close it on a whim."

"What about the Arbiter?" Hood asked. "And the others sent? We are just going to leave them?"

"Anything we send through is potential food, especially this close after that station." she bluntly responded. "And by the time we can send anything through safely, they'll have either succeeded without us, or screwed up beyond recovery. Either way, reinforcements would be pointless."

she turned back to the Portal. "No. The best thing we can do is wait. And hope the Master Chief's luck is as legendary as your soldiers make it out to be."

* * *

The Ark. A place many could call contradictory. It was tranquil. Peaceful. A perfect place for contemplation. And yet, if one pressed the wrong button on this massive installation, a Human or Forerunner could wipe out all life in the galaxy that was practically next door. This was so, because it was the place where one could remotely trigger the Halo array: a set of seven (now five) rings that could eliminate all life in the galaxy. An extreme measure, but one put in place because of the Flood.

A parasite so terrible that it could eliminate all life in the galaxy. Consuming flesh wherever it touched it, it was no small wonder the Forerunners became desperate enough to create an array to wipe out all life in the galaxy, starving the parasite to death. The galaxy was at peace.

Which was why the AI in charge of the Ark, 000 Tragic Solitude, was dismayed to find the Portal opening, and detecting multiple alien warships of San'Shyuum design coming through. They were still weeks out, but it was a disturbing development nonetheless. He activated all Aggressor-Class Sentinels he could find, determined to repel the invaders. He cursed his creators that they hadn't given him Enforcer-class Sentinels. The Forerunners were so confident the Flood couldn't reach this place, that they hadn't given him any Enforcers at all. Only a token force of Sentinels.

Still, he would do what he could with what he had. The two Rings had to be rebuilt, and the first was nearing completion, expecting it to be ready to fire only 9 days after the invader's arrival. He had to buy as much time as he could, and keep them away from the center of the Ark. At any cost.

* * *

Six strapped herself into the seat, securing the M-Spec reentry pack designed for the ship. Back during the loading up of weapons for the assault on the Ark, Hood had given a Saber to her, a 'gift, a token of good will from one leader to another'. Six found it nothing but political maneuvering, a way to gain favor with the fellow military leader that was once a subordinate.

But it didn't trouble her at all. In fact, she had been close to ecstatic, only barely managing to keep her motions in check. For, in spite of all the things she enjoyed, there was only one thing that truly made her enjoy things. Not the killing. Not the fighting. Not the patching up of the wounded. Not the company of her fellow soldiers. Only spending time with her fellow Spartans could come close to competing. But it was all overshadowed by one thing.

Flying a fighter. A Saber, to be precise.

She had always enjoyed flying, especially with nothing hanging in the balance. On the scale of life-or-death of the entire galaxy anyway. A dogfight with other fighters was fine. Flying made her feel free. It forced to think only about the here and now. Not her past mistakes, not her crimes, not the horrors of the war, not the complications in spending time with others...

No. flying truly freed her. As such, like her personnel weapons, she had painted the ship. Instead of the bland dark-gray it had always been, it was now matte-black to hide it from visual view, to better hide her from enemy fighters. On top of that, she (and a Huragok crew) had modified it so that it could carry three times as many missiles, and two times as many rounds for the main guns, without taking up more space. Also, she had modified the inside, making it more comfortable (as befit the ruler of a planet), yet more efficient. Also, Void occupied the ship's systems, to enhance the performance. He was no Cortana or Kalmiya, but he could still enhance it pretty well.

In short, it was now a masterpiece.

She maneuvered the ship so it faced the exit, and awaited her turn to exit. From the exit of the Hangar of the Great Lance, she could see Loyalist and Separatist ships duking it out, as well as the Forward Unto Dawn deploying pelicans to deploy ground forces and find the frigate a landing zone. They had arrived barely a minute after the Loyalists, and had no true disadvantage on the Covenant on the ground. The High and mighty Truth wasn't taking part of the attack, having retreated to a rim surrounding the center of the installation she assumed was the Ark.

And it was _massive_. Truly, the scale of it made her blood pause for some moments. She knew the place had to be large, for it to have constructed the Halos, as theorized by the three monitors accompanying them. But to see it for real... that was something different.

To see the 100.000 kilometer wide installation, it only reminded you how small the galaxy really was.

At last, radio control confirmed she was clear to launch, and soon, she blasted out of the ship, quickly reaching her maximum speed. She headed for the site of greatest carnage.

"Ok." she muttered to herself. "Come to mama, assholes."

* * *

John readied his Sniper Rifle, as he observed the sands below. They had located an LZ quickly enough, finding a space large enough for the frigate to land. They also had no true resistance from the Covenant, as they had only a minute of advantage. Not enough time to set up true resistance capable of preventing the Dawn from landing. The only thing that had truly bothered him was a careless Jackal trying to heft a Fuel Rod Gun at him. Trying, because the blasted creature couldn't manage to get it off the ground. Wilson had slid its throat to put it out of its misery.

Johnson's pelican came of the canyon wall next to him, resting barely a few meters above him.

"Ma'am, Hocus almost had her wing shot off. But we spotted a structure on the other side of that wall. It matches Cortana's description of the map room on the first Halo Ring. Huey, Dewey and Louie confirmed it, too."

"Could you please stop with referring to us Monitors as such, Reclaimer?" Tangent asked over the com. "We are not 615 year old Cartoon characters."

"It's better than Lightbulbs." Wilson said. "Speaking of which, how the hell do you know who they are?"  
"We have access to the entity you call Waypoint." Contrite Vestige explained from the Great Lance. "And we have our own interests as well. We are not dumb machines, you know." Wilson looked away, getting the point.

John looked out over the sand, with the large wall visible in the distance. The area inside was one of few areas they couldn't access, as assessed earlier. For while the Covenant hadn't had time to deploy artillery to prevent the deployment of ground forces, they did manage to deploy Scarab tanks. And while they couldn't take the Dawn down, they would put quite a dent in her, ensuring she wouldn't be able to take off once she had landed.

"So, how do we get on the other side again?" Dubbo asked, as he walked up.

"Don't worry." Commander Keyes answered from the Dawn's bridge. "I've got a plan."

John glanced behind him, as he heard a think, followed by a systematic whirring. As he looked, he saw the Dawn was lowering her cargo pads.

Cargo pads loaded with Scorpion Tanks.

"If we can't fly over the wall, we'll blast right through it. Chief, Arbiter, take the tanks and lead the way. Find any locked doors, _Dewey_ will happily fry them open."

"I will gladly aid the reclaimer's progress." Spark said. "In spite of the odd nicknames I'm getting. I am, however, unfamiliar with this installation."

"All right, then." Johnson said. "You heard the lady. Mount up, and lets roll."

John nodded, as he moved to the closest tank. The Arbiter had already gotten in another one, and one of the two Elites that always accompanied him, the red one, had gotten in the Arbiter's turret. As John entered, the other one, the blue one, jumped into the turret. They got moving.

As they drove, John briefly looked up into the sky. Earlier, he had been able to see his own galaxy from there. He had heard from Spark that the Ark was likely outside of the array's range, and thus likely outside of the galaxy. Because of that, he hadn't been truly surprised that he could see it.

No, what had surprised him was the fact it was smaller than his fist, meaning it was a _really_ long distance away.

He looked back ahead. The convoy of vehicles was getting closer to the wall. He and the others gathered near the door indicated by Spark.

"Alright, Oracle." N'tho said from his seat in the turret. "Open her up."

"One moment, Sangheili." the Monitor said. "This door has a rather robust security system. Ah, there."

Indeed, as the Monitor finished the sentence, the columned door raised. First the central one, then the two neighboring it, then the two neighboring those, and then the rest. The Arbiter drove through first, and John followed. Then, the rest of the vehicles entered. As they drove on, John noted the increasing number of Sentinels, and saw that they all turned to them, but refused to fire.

"Thank goodness for my spare pair of pants." Banks quipped. "Look at them all. It must be hundreds."

"1034 in this hall, to be precise." Spark said. "All of them currently focused on the other meddlers, rather than us. Why, I am not certain. But as your species says, reclaimer: 'never look a gifted horse in the mouth'."

"Wiser words have never been spoken." Mattock said.

"Yes, they have." Wilson said. "My Grandfather once said: 'A man needs only four things from four basic food groups: Beer, Bacon, Whiskey and Lard'."

all humans laughed, and John was surprised to even hear the Elite in front of him chuckle. Surprising, considering the Elites likely didn't even know what most of those things were.

The laughter was cut short, however, when they came upon the door that led back outside.

"I'm already on it, Reclaimers." Spark said. Soon, the second door opened as well. They drove back outside.

And stopped in apprehension. Two Protos Scarabs and a hijacked Deutoros Scarab stood in front of them, all facing them. The Brute Choppers and Prowlers left little doubt over who controlled them. The heads of the three assault platforms turned to them, and started charging.

"Oh, Fuck." Banks said.

Before anyone could reply, a missile volley struck the two Protos Scarabs, making them stagger. The Deutoros looked up, but was hit by a second volley of missiles, covering it in smoke. When it cleared a few seconds later, the front half was badly scorched, and the rear legs had been blown off. It was also already blaring its alarms, signaling the power core was going critical. After a second, it exploded.

John opened the hatch of his tank and looked up. Hovering next to them, a few meters above and next to them, were a pair of Vulture gunships, each escorted by Phantom gunboats. The Gunboats were all in Sang'Katarn colors.

"Thought you could use a hand." Fol said over the com. "We'll keep these busy, you just get to that Cartographer."

John nodded. "Thanks for the help. We'll make it from here."

He closed the hatch again, and the convoy got moving, firing a few parting shots at the Protos Scarabs. The latter were too busy trying to shoot down the Vultures to fire back at them, and they escaped unharmed.

The structure was visible in the distance, towering above the sands around them. John marked it as the Objective on his HUD and drove to it. The Arbiter and the others followed.

"Heads up!" Fol warned. "One of the Protos just separated from the other, and is headed towards you guys. I'm inbound with one of the Vultures, but watch your back."

"Understood." The Arbiter replied with the tank. "We're nearly at the Cartographer. Estimated time until arrival-"

"ETA." John heard Wilson mutter silently over the com.

"is about five minutes." the Arbiter continued on, oblivious. "Can you delay it until we reach it?"

"Negative." Fol warned. "I'm two minutes behind it, while that thing-"

A giant Protos-Scarab leg touched down in front of John's tank, forcing him to grind it to a halt, or dent it ramming the leg.

"is almost on top of you."

"You think?" Wilson asked, as he jumped off of the tank, eager to get away from the target. John and the other Elite and humans got off as well. A Scorpion couldn't penetrate that thing's armor, and with it's slow speed and not-as-durable armor, staying on it was like painting crosshairs across one's chest.

"Scatter." John ordered. "Don't cluster and form a target."

as he expected, the members of his team (The Arbiter, S'raom, 'Taham, Wilson, Stacker, Banks and Dubbo) scattered. Dubbo and Banks each went to hide behind a dune, to get out of it's sight. Wilson and Stacker flanked it, ready to board it in case it came down to their level. The Elites activated their Cloak, also to disappear from its sensors and gain an advantage.

As for him, he did what he did best.

Improvise.

He saw another leg come down near him, and he ran for it, putting his Sniper Rifle on his back. As the leg came up for another step, he jumped, grabbing on to it. He managed to gain a handhold near the hinge to the spike that served as a foot. As it came down, he used the shock of it to launch himself upwards. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Scarab had destroyed one of the Scorpion tanks already, and was aiming for the other, charging its Focus cannon.

This time, he landed on the other leg, on the upper hinge that formed the knee. He climbed until he was on top of it, and observed the platform. Three Brutes stood there, looking down below, mocking the humans below. They didn't notice he was about to board their toy.

He jumped again, this time landing beside them. He grabbed his Sniper Rifle as quickly as he could, and shot one in the head.

It blew off the helmet, and made the Brute stagger, tripping over the edge and falling down below. Banks and Dubbo were already onto it, filling it with bullets before it could stand.

John, meanwhile, fired another round, hitting the torso of another Brute. Like the last one, it staggered, and fell. Unfortunately, it fell to the other side, landing on the platform instead of the sand below. The third Brute, armed with a Mauler, aimed it at him. John tried to bring his rifle up, to get a round off.

A Laser hit the Brute straight in the chest, and after a moment, the Brute fell down. John could see a hole in the chest where there didn't used to be one. A hole he could see through to the other side.

Spark came to hover beside John. John nodded in thanks, and reloaded the near-empty rifle. The last Brute got up, aiming the Spiker it wielded at the Monitor. The Monitor merely activated some sort of Orange repulsive shield, deflecting the spikes. It tried to reload, but suddenly looked down. John did so as well.

A blade emerged from the Brute's abdomen, and was starting to slide upwards. Soon, after about two seconds, the Brute was vertically split in two, the Arbiter standing behind it.

"Impressive display of stealth." The monitor said. "But I advice we vacate this vehicle."

John wanted to ask why, but he heard a loud whir, and he turned.

A Vulture Gunship was right behind him, missile pods aimed at the Protos Scarab. He got the idea, and jumped off, the Arbiter right behind him.

They landed just as the first missile struck, hitting the doorway to the tank's interior. It became wretched in debris and flames, trapping the occupants inside. The second hit the head doing double duty as the focus cannon, disabling it and making it shower sparks. The third and fourth hit the front legs. They must have packed quite a punch, because John could see very large explosions, and the next moment, the legs fell down without the Scarab.

He knew what that meant. The thing had no front legs. No front support for the weight. It would topple forwards.

Towards _Them_.

He ran as fast as he could, dropping the heavy rifle to lose some weight. He saw the Arbiter was actually catching up and passing him by, either getting the idea as well or seeing it fall towards him.

Having an idea, he rolled to the side a few times. As expected, the thing still fell... a few meters in front of his feet, going sideways.

Like expected, it didn't follow him as he moved aside; it could only fall forward. Thus, moving to the side instead of just running and wasting energy ensured he wouldn't get rammed or buried by the wreck.

Of course, he still backed away more. After all, the missiles still came flying, and the power core coul-

It exploded right in his face, and his visor polarized automatically to shield his eyes. He felt small pings as shrapnel hit his armor, but he felt no pain. That meant no piece had managed to penetrate his armor.

In the distance, he could see a Supercarrier take a low orbit.

"Not bad, Spartan." the Halfjaw's voice said, in an impressed tone. "I saw _that_ explosion from Orbit."

"Truth's fleet is in ruins." Six added. "Only a handful of their ships remain, and they've either withdrawn further to the Ark's surface, or surrendered to us."

"Head for the Spire, Chief." Johnson said. "The Cartographer's still guarded."

John got the idea, and got out his Battle rifle, picking up a fallen Brute shot from the Scarab's debris and putting it on his back with the appropriate ammo belt.

Together with the Elites, the tower was cleared swiftly, and they got to the top without much trouble. At the top, they saw a large mess of Brute bodies, most with either a Sword slash across their chests and throats, or scorch marks all over their body. Prominent among them stood Fol, his Fuel-Rod gun smoking and his Sword brandished.

"Well done, people. But let us move indoors. The map isn't going to show itself."

Wilson and Dubbo took a moment to pick up a new gun and resupply, before they all moved inwards. They came to a four-way intersection, with bodies laying around.

Lots of bodies. dozens of them.

And Spark floating above them all, calmly humming a tune to himself only he knew.

Dubbo took a moment to take it all in. "Am I the only one freaked out by the fact that our little lightbulb has taken out what seems to be a whole Covenant garrison?"

Banks shook his head. "No, you're not, Private. You're just the only one standing still while doing so. Get moving!"

Dubbo hastened to catch up with the others, and almost knocked into one of the Elites.

They came to a locked door, and Spark fired a blue data beam at it, likely trying to hack it open. After a moment, he paused. Then he continued, and a second later, the door became green in color, opening.

Inside, it was empty. Too empty to John's liking. After all, in the silence and the shadows, a Brute Stalker could easily lure, waiting to throw an incendiary grenade at them.

"Spark, scan ahead. Any lifeforms detected?"

Spark floated forwards, showing multiple scanning rays. Later, he returned, a bit brighter.

"The entire building's clear except for us. Apparently, the Meddlers couldn't get past this door."

"Alternate entrances?" John asked.

"A landing platform one level below the cartographer. It's clear for now, but that is only until the platform's spotted."

"Lets not waste any time then." Fol said, as he raised his Assault Rifle, having stowed away his Sword during the exchange. They moved on, as quickly as they could. After walking through a maze of corridors, they finally arrived: A small walkway that seemed to serve as an observation bay, with a console in the front. As John approached, the console's holographic controls activated, and a button appeared.

"Ah, the Cartographer." Spark said. "Come. It awaits your approval."

John stepped over, pressing a button. Fol and Wilson moved to one side of the bay, while the two other Elites moved to the other. The Arbiter stood beside him, while the rest moved back inside, eager to get moving before the Covenant arrived.

A map of the galaxy appeared after he pressed the button. A section just outside of it lit up.

"That's... our galaxy." he said, a bit surprised. "We're beyond the rim?"

"Two to the eighteen lightyears from the galactic center, to be precise." Spark corrected.

"So." the Arbiter said. "This is the Ark?"

"Yes." the Monitor said. "An impressive installation. It was where the Halo Rings were constructed. It is also where they can be remotely activated."

"Can you tell me where we are exactly?" John asked.

"Here." Spark said, pointing at a certain section of the uppermost larger arm, with the same light he had used to point at John back in the original Halo's control room.

"And the betrayer?" the Arbiter asked.

A section near the hole in the Ark's center lit up. It was a central building, with three smaller ones near a cliff connected to a sea beyond. "Here near one of the Ark's superluminal communication arrays, I'm afraid. Unfortunately, the Meddler has triggered a barrier; a defensive perimeter around the Ark's core."

John looked up, as the Elite pair near the right prong spotted a pair of banshees flying past. They wore Loyalist colors. John moved to a bit more cover.  
"The barrier will be difficult to disable." Spark continued, oblivious to the nearby hostiles and more focused on the Ark map. "How odd that my makers would place such a comprehensive defense around a single..." The Monitor trailed off, and he lit up in shock. "Oh my."

"What is it?" John asked. Before he could get an answer, Fol shouted a warning.

"PHANTOM!"

John looked up. Indeed, the banshees were back, escorting a heavily loaded Phantom. John hurried back to cover, while Fol opened fire with his Fuel-Rod gun.

"Spark! Move!" John called, as the Monitor was still focused on that image of the Ark. Finally pulled out of its reverie, it looked at the Phantom, before heading over back to John.

As soon as he got back with the Spartan, the Monitor spoke, alarmed.

"We must get past that barrier, or the meddler will destroy it all?"

"You mean he can activate the rings from there?" Fol asked, as a round from his gun hit. The Phantom, trailing smoke from the hit, tilted for a bit, before crashing down below. As soon as John moved to look, he regretted it. Twenty seven Brutes stood below, all with heavy weapons. None were seriously injured.

"Chief, you've got a whole mess of hostile air inbound!" Johnson warned. "Get back inside while we take them out!"

John nodded, and made his way back to the door he came from.

"Follow Sparkplug, Spartan." Fol said. As John turned, he saw the Elite jump up, landing on a Brute banshee that strafed too close. He opened the hatch, kicked out the owner onto the platform below, and took over.

"I'll go and help your sergeant clear the skies."

John nodded, and moved back in.

* * *

Cethegus knelt, as he activated the holographic display. The Brute Jumper around him did so as well, in honor of the one addressing them.

The Prophet of Truth.

"My honorable Prophet, the Demon and the Heretic Leader are here, near the map room."

The Prophet nodded. "Indeed? Then you will fight them, and win, on your own. Failure will bring a fate worse than death - abandonment, as we step forward. Out."

Promptly, the Hologram disappeared. The Prophet wasn't one to waste time. The Brute nodded. Then, he saw the look of his warriors grow apprehensive. Knowing what was behind him, he turned around.

The Demon and the Heretic stood in front of the door, looking at him. The Brute smiled. "Fight me." he goaded. "I'm _right here._ "

The Heretic gave in, and ran straight towards him. The Demon strafed instead, holding a Brute shot ready to fire. Cethegus decided to charge on ahead, into the Heretic. He was of far greater mass, and would surely pulverize the treacherous Elite.

To his surprise, the Elite jumped over him, and gave him a kick in the back of the head, making him stumble. Angered, Cethegus let out a roar, and charged again.

This time, it was the Demon who stopped him, firing a Brute shot round into his face. His armor and helmet protected him from the heat and shrapnel, but it sure stopped him cold. He looked around for the little Demon, stunned for the moment.

It was then, that he received a punch in the face, knocking his helmet off and forcing him back. Before he could recover, he felt a kick at his forehead, stunning him more.

The longer the fight went on, the more Cethegus realized these two could work together extraordinarily well. Every time he was kicked, the other attacked barely a moment later. Soon, Cethegus felt a kick that permanently stopped him.

One to the groin, that penetrated his armor, and hurt all the more for it.

He fell to his knees, and looked up. The Heretic stood there, his sword raised.

The next moment, there was darkness.

* * *

Thel pulled his Sword out of the Chieftain's body. It had been a tough opponent, but, with the Spartan's help, it had been killed. Only now, there was one problem.

The remaining twenty six Brutes (thirteen on each side) now all raised their weapons. At them.

Thel jumped into cover, behind a balustrade. The Spartan did likewise on the other side of the platform.

The Brutes jumped around, trying to get a better angle.

"So much for clearing the skies, Fol." Wilson whined. "Where is that damn-"

at that exact moment, the Brutes were gunned down from above. They all tried to turn around, looking for the new threat, but they never made it to the edge of the Platform. Thel peeked outside his cover.

A black human fighter craft was hovering in front of them, firing at the remaining six brutes. Twelve rounds later, the Brutes were all dead.

The Spartan got out of his cover, and nodded. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem." the pilot, a female by the sound of it, replied. "Just do us all a favor, and don't go into situations that are over your head. Your luck's not infinite."

"Duly noted." the Spartan replied. The craft dipped its nose slightly, before turning around and flying off. Four Pelicans flew in to replace them. One approached them, the rear hatch opened for them.

The Spartan tensed, and readied the Brute shot he carried. "Commander!" he called.

Then, Thel saw it too: a swarm of Sentinels was flying up from below the platform, at an alarming rate. Thel raised his own rifle.

"I've got it." Johnson said from one of the pelicans, obviously readying some weapon he had.

"No!." Spark yelled before anyone could fire. "Don't shoot. They mean us no harm. Those units have a priority task."

"Oh yeah?" Johnson asked, annoyed at not getting to shoot something. "And what might _that_ be?"

Thel lowered his weapon, as he got onto one of the Pelicans. The Spartan seemed to wait around, making sure everything's secure.  
"I really can't say." the Monitor apologized. "Not for sure. But if you allow me to find a terminal closer to the core-"

"No, Oracle." he interrupted. "We must keep the Prophet firmly in our sights."

"But what about your construct?" Spark continued to question. "Her solution to the Flood? With more data I might be-"

"The Arbiter's right." the human commander, Keyes, interrupted. " _We_ have priorities, too. Until we kill Truth, stop the rings from firing..."

The Spartan finally approached a pelican, and the and the remaining soldiers boarded it.

"...nothing else matters." the woman finished, as they flew away.

* * *

 _30 Minutes Later._

John got up from his seat, as he watched over the ships that flew beside them.

It was an impressive convoy. Five Pelicans, five Phantoms and a Hornet carrying a pair of highly skilled warriors. All heavily armed and ready to fight. Ready to take on the Loyalist's finest.

"We hit these three generators, and the barrier will fall?" Keyes asked from one of the Pelicans.

"A small section, yes." the Monitor responded.

"Good enough." Keyes answered. "Johnson, drop the Chief and the Arbiter at the first generator, then take the Separatists with you to the third. Fol and Sierra B312 will punch right down the middle."

"Roger that." Johnson said. "No worries, Ma'am. They'll get off the school-bus at the right stop."

"then this one's the one for preschoolers, judging from my company." Wilson complained. "And I'm in the wrong one."

"Nonsense." Johnson responded. "You're in the right one. Except for your Ego."

"Why you little..."

John ignored the rest of the bickering. He was used to it by now. Wilson and Johnson, despite being in different battalions (ODST's and Marines, respectively), seemed to know each other a long time. Besides, he had heard this a lot on the first Halo and the Ascendant Justice/Gettysburg. He never needed to worry that they'd actually fight.

No, he needed to worry for his own safety. They were about to land near the first Generator tower for the barrier that protected the Citadel, the building from which every Halo in the galaxy could be activated. And it was heavily protected.

"Charlie Foxtrot." Hocus, whose pelican he was on, yelled. "Tower one approach has active Triple-A."  
The ship and the air around them began to shake, as the shots fired became closer to them. Apparently, the Covenant had taken their time setting up good defenses here.

As the hatch lowered, and as he looked beyond the Warthog underslung at his Pelican, he saw the fire was heavily concentrated on the Phantom behind them, which was carrying a Specter underslung. It was hit by a green blob, which made him suspect it was an AA-Wraith attacking them. The Phantom in question, however, didn't take well to the blob. It immediately banked forward, hitting their Warthog, before crashing down below.

"Mayday!" an Elite called. "Can't control her any-"

it was cut off as the Phantom crashed, and the interior suffered an explosion, killing all aboard. John , observing it all, merely grabbed the Spartan Laser from the rack he had put it in, and readied it. The Arbiter got up as well, and grabbed the Concussion Rifle he'd taken from the Armory when they'd prepared on the Shadow of Intent.

The plan was simple: They were to take down the generators, so that when the shield fell, the Half-jaw shipmaster could move in with the Shadow of Intent, and glass the Citadel from orbit. Regardless of whether the armor of said building protected the workings that controlled the remote activation of the Halos, the heat would definitely kill Truth. A simple plan.

In John's experience, the simplest of plans were the ones to go wrong the most. As was demonstrated by the _warm_ welcome they received from the Brutes.

"Brace yourselves!" Johnson warned. "We're coming in a little hot!"

John just ignored the statement, and got out with Stacker, Wilson, Banks, Dubbo, the Arbiter and his Elite buddies. Immediately, they were set upon by Brutes with Plasma Repeaters, Carbines, Brute Shots and Plasma Launchers. In the distance he could even see Shade turrets, and an AA-Wraith in the background. Hocus immediately took off once everyone had exited from her plane.

"Commander, this is Kilo 23." He heard, as he opened fire on the closest Brute. "I lost my wingman and our only hog, over."

"Roger that, Hocus." Keyes responded. "Get out of there!"

The Elite pair, cloaked from view for a moment, likely sneaking up behind their lines. The Arbiter joined John in firing his heavy weapon at the Brutes, distracting them from what could be going on around or behind them.

After a few moments, two Brutes stopped firing, falling down silently. The others hadn't noticed yet. John used the opportunity to destroy one of the Shades, firing at it with his Laser after properly charging it. The Brutes responded by concentrating their Fuel-Rod firing on his position. He swallowed, as he counted six Fuel Rods coming his way from various directions. There was no way to survive it, for even if he dodged one way, a rod would hit him from another.

Seconds before they hit, Concussion Rifle rounds hit below the rods, and the shockwaves from the blasts deflected them different ways. One went up, and two went sideways. One merely angled upwards more, missing him by inches.

But two were deflected back in the direction of the Brutes, who saw what was happening. They tried to dodge, but fire from behind them pinned them down. The majority died as the Fuel Rods hit a Plasma Barrel stockpile. John looked at who had carried a Concussion Rifle, as that one had saved his life, and he owed the man, or being, a thank you.

He was only slightly surprised to find that the Arbiter was the only one carrying such a rifle. The Arbiter briefly glanced at him, noticing that John was slightly staring.

"Thanks." was all he said.

"Save the gratitude for when this is over." the Arbiter responded, though the tone didn't indicate he meant anything by it. The Spartan just nodded, and continued moving on.

They were too late at the line. 'Sraom and 'Taham had already killed the remnants of this line, and were exchanging fire with the Shades of the next one, the last one before the AA-Wraith.

"What took you guys so long?" N'tho asked, as the others arrived.

"Sorry." Wilson said. "We took the scenic route. Saw some sights, blasted some Brutes..."

"The usual." Banks summarized.

John ignored the quipping around, even though it was a good sign that the hostilities between Elites and Humans was decreasing. Instead, he just stood a little straighter, charged the Laser, and fired another time at theShade turret. This one was destroyed immediately, and the laser continued on, making a glancing blow at the Tank behind it.

The Arbiter continued to fire as well, loosening a burst of Concussion rounds on the second one. While it didn't eliminate the turret itself, the shockwaves did knock the Brute manning it out of the turret. The Marines opened fire on it, preventing it from getting back into the Turret. 'Sraom finished it off with a shot from his Beam Rifle.

They moved on after they went by for a minute without fire from the Brutes. The Cheif took aim, and fired the last of the charge of his laser into the AA-Wraith.

"Beachhead secure, Commander." Dubbo reported. "Hostile Anti-Air has been neutralized."

"Hold position, I'm on my way." Keyes responded. "Shipmaster, begin diversionary bombardment."

"I will beat the Prophet's shields like a drum." the Halfjaw boasted. "By the time the barrier falls, he will beg for mercy."

John moved to the beach, for Keyes would drop off vehicles for them there. As they arrived, the Commander spoke on.

"Spark and the other Monitors believe Truth can activate the Rings at any time. And if he does, Earth, every being in the galaxy... Halo will kill them all."

John nodded, as he understood the objective. He had heard it often enough in the last half hour. He got into the driver's seat of the warthog deployed. The Arbiter took the turret, while Wilson got into the side seat.

By now, he was getting used to the fact the entire galaxy depended on him to save it.

* * *

 _Second Generator Tower_

The Brutes on guard stood perplexed for a bit. At the start of the battle, the entire force had deployed near the first tower, deploying troops and silencing the Brutes' artillery. Then, half had diverted, going to the third tower.

Yet, they had bypassed their tower. And the Brute War Chieftain was wondering why.

It was oblivious to the fact a Single human craft called a Hornet had landed nearby under the cover of the violence at the other towers. It was also oblivious to the fact one being had left said Hornet behind, and was making its way to the second tower on foot.

It only became aware when an Energy Sword exited through its forehead.

The Brutes nearby were unaware of the fact their pack leader had died until his body was tossed in their midst by a Sangheili Purple Field-Marshal. The Brutes all looked up to the perpetrator, ready to open fire.

They never managed to pull the trigger, as the Hornet appeared behind them. It unleashed a pair of missiles. It only killed one Brute, and only seriously wounded three. But the attack wasn't meant to kill.

It was meant to blow away. Instead of the usual explosive package put into the missiles meant for Hornets, the Sang'Katarn had managed to put in concussive charges instead, sending everything flying away from the point of impact. It worked ideally here, as the second tower was located at the top of a cliff. All Brutes fell either to their deaths at the cliffs, or splashed into the water below, and drowning due to the fact they couldn't swim. The water always clung to their fur too much, and they would sink.

The Hornet set down on the now-empty tower, and the pilot exited. The Field-Marshal met the pilot halfway. The pilot handed the Field-Marshal a device from her heavily gauntleted glove.

"Nice shot." Fol said, as he took the communicator.

"I aim to please." Six responded. Then, the Spartan raised the DMR she had taken with her. "Commander, we're about to enter the second tower."

"Good." Keyes responded. "Johnson and the Elites are about to touch down at number three, and the Chief and the Arbiter are on their way to the first tower. Report back when it's down."

"Will do, Ma'am." Fol said. Then, he raised his own Assault Rifle, borrowed from the Great Lance's armory. The pair of them were heavily armed. Fol had the by-now usual combination of Katarn Energy Swords for close combat, an Assault Rifle for medium range, and a Fuel-Rod gun if things got too hot. Six had a DMR for medium to long range, her own Katarn for close range, and her hand-painted Grenade Launcher from the Gettysburg, back when they were still on their journey back to Earth.

They entered the tower at opposite entrances, which later converged into a three-way intersection, with the third one sectioned off by a locked door. The pair looked at each other, nodded, and took positions, Fol at the side of the door, Six in front of the lock.

"Knock knock." Six said, as she placed a breaching charge on the door. After a moment, she hurried to the opposite side of Fol. No sooner than she reached it, the charge exploded, damaging the lock and making the door open. Immediately, Fol threw in a Frag grenade, which exploded. As expected, he heard screams of beings dying. Jackals, by the sound of it. As the enemy screeched in pain and confusion, Fol stormed in, Six right after him, both swords lit and held ready.

Beyond were the Jackals that were waiting for them, all heavily in pain due to the Shrapnel launched by the grenade. Out of range yet not out of sight, twelve Brutes were standing ready with Carbines.

"Counting Thermal signatures." Void said over their com. After a moment, as Fol and Six cut through the Jackals, he came through. "I count 63 Drones, 14 Jackals, and 33 Brutes, 12 of which are at the top of the tower. That totals to 110 hostiles."

"Only a hundred and ten?" Six asked sarcastically. "I'm insulted. Usually I get greeted by thousands."

"Your service record, though heavily blanked out, indicates that-"

"It was a joke, Void." Fol interrupted. "Lock down enemy communications. And inform the Shipmaster of our progress. Engage total radio silence after that."

"Complying." Void said, before falling into silence.

They finished up mercy-killing the Jackals, and got out their heavy weaponry. Up above them, they could see the shaft, with what they presumed was the elevator platform slightly below it, connected to a walkway. The walkway connected to a Corridor, Fol guessed, which was only accessible from...

From the doorway the Brutes were guarding.

"How many visible?" Fol asked.

"Three Brutes, with likely another 18 waiting in that hallway beyond the door." the Spartan answered.

"How do you know?"

"I only hear three voices. And Brutes ain't as disciplined as Elites. They'd all talk."

Fol nodded. She did have a fair point. "Composition of ranks?"

"Those three? Just minors. Anything beyond? No i- Shit!"

Fol cursed as well, as his motion sensor went haywire. From the shaft, the 63 Drones all came down, headed for them. As if coordinated, the doors opened, and the Brutes and Jackals came out as well, opening fire on them.

"One with best score wins?" Fol quipped.

"That's me by default." the Spartan quipped back. Fol smirked. Ever since she had fought his Father in the Council Chamber, she had no true animosity with him anymore. Rather, they seemed to work together even better.

Which was why both of them fired their respective explosive weapons into the giant swarm: because they both knew the other would do so as well.

It had the desired effect: the twin explosions killed half the swarm, and scattered the rest, forcing them back up. That left only the Brutes and Jackals. And they were much easier to deal with.

"I'll take the six on the Left." he said, as he aimed the Fuel Rod gun. He fired at them until the clip ran dry, but he failed to hit them. The Brutes were too deep into cover.

Six, however, had more success: the explosion he heard to his right caused pieces of Armor to skid across the room. The Brutes returned fire on her, but indirectly opened themselves up to him. He threw a Plasma Grenade at the middle one, and dove back into cover, grabbing his Fuel-Rod gun.

To his satisfaction, he heard an explosion, and when he peeked, he saw three Jackals and two Brutes sail across the room.

His satisfaction was short-lived, however, when he heard a grunt of pain. He turned.

The Spartan had her Katarn out, and was fighting a Brute at close range. The Brute had managed to strike across her left shoulder plate with the Spiker he wielded. From the light stream of red dripping from the hole, the Brute had pierced the skin.

Six, however, wasn't happy with the injury. In retaliation, she sliced off the Brute' firing hand, following by decapitating it. Then, she picked up the Spiker, and put it to her hip as a Side arm.

"From the look of it, you need to lighten the load." Fol quipped, as he loaded the final clip in his Fuel Rod gun, firing at the Brutes that were trying to flank him. As he noticed he was running out of ammo, he pressed the dead man's switch on the gun, and threw it at the Brutes. It exploded nicely, taking out half. He grabbed his Assault Rifle, and finished off the rest.

"More like I need to compensate for my short height." Six returned, as she loaded another Grenade into the Launcher. "I mean, look at me: I'm barely over 2 meters."

"An accomplishment for the rest of your species." Fol responded. He fired a burst at a Jackal who was aiming for Six, forcing the thing to move or be shot.

"Shut up, One-eye." Six said irritated. Fol just laughed.

Together, they cleared out the room, which took a good two minutes. Afterwards, they didn't receive any more injuries. They merely wasted a bit of ammo. But, with all the weapons crates around, they had plenty to choose from. Fol compensated from the depleted Assault Rifle with two Plasma Rifles, while Six picked up another Spiker since her Grenade Launcher ran out.

They didn't say any more words, as it wasn't needed. They just made their way up. Fortunately, the majority of their assault force had been sent as soon as the Ambush was triggered. As they came to the Platform, however, the surviving Drones returned.

"I swear." Six said. "If they have Jumpers on top, I'm going after them."

"Don't jinx it." Fol warned. He fired in bursts, to not let them overheat. Since Drones had weak bodies, they were easily killed by headshots. It wouldn't take long.

One Drone managed to hatch onto his back, while another three tried to disarm him, ripping his Swords from his armor Thighs. He slightly winced, for while it had been three weeks since that duel with his father, and his leg had healed well since being broken, he still wasn't supposed to be fighting in the field. Yet, from that duel, observing Six, he had learned a trick he could use. Especially since he hadn't been wounded before until Reach.

Using your pain to go on longer. Feeding on it. It helped him continue on.

He grabbed the ones nearest his leg, and literally ripped it in two. Then, he grabbed two others, knocked their heads together, and threw them into a wall. The last one, the one on his back, he grabbed it by the shoulders and kicked it in into one assaulting Six. He grabbed a Carbine from a nearby crate, and began firing at the few remaining Drones.

In short order, he and Six managed to kill the Drones. Afterwards, Six patted some bug wings of her armor, and moved to look at his own knee. "You should have that looked at." she said.

"You sound like Private Dubbo, back in the Library on the first Halo." he said. Six, by the way she stood, didn't seem impressed.

"Only Wilson can pull that off. You lack the accent." she responded. She moved in for a closer look, but he pushed her back, and stood up.

"I can keep going for a short while longer."

Six slightly tilted her head. "Sure you don't want pain killers?"

"Not from you." he immediately said. "For all I know, you could be euthanizing me on the spot. I still remember your comment about the ONI banquet."

Six just shook her head, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. Fol chuckled, and followed. They stepped onto the elevator, and Six pressed the button to the top floor.

When he guessed they were only five seconds out, he activated his Active Camouflage, and went ahead.

As Six had jinxed, there were ten Jumpers in there, as well as two Brute War Chieftains, one with a Plasma Cannon, the other with a Fuel-Rod gun.

"You had to Jinx it." he muttered into their com.

"It's her speciality." Void quipped.

"Ganging up on me?" Six yelled, both at Fol and the Brutes, who ran towards her. Fol ambushed them in the middle of their ranks. Activating his Swords, he uncloaked himself and slashed across the abdomen of the middle two Jumpers. It drew the attention of the ones in the back of the formation, while the rest continued making their way to Six. Six, true to her word, jumped right up to meet them, her Katarn raised. She slashed across one's helmet before he could raise his Mauler. Another aimed his Carbine at her, but before he could fire, Fol slashed across the barrel as it landed.

Immediately, he returned his attention to the remaining four Jumpers he was supposed to deal with. Three of them had Maulers, while the fourth had a Brute Shot. On instinct, he threw one of his Katarns at the one with the Brute shot, killing it and pinning it to the wall. That left three.

He whirled around as one landed in front of him, slashing with his remaining Katarn at his throat. It went deep, but not enough to decapitate it. It did slash across the neck and spine, though, definitely killing it. That left two.

The Chieftains wouldn't fire, as their own troops were in the way, and that would just be a waste of ammunition. The two Jumpers he was supposed to deal with were aiming at him with their Maulers. No time to close the distance before they hit him and downed his shields.

A single click across his com was the only warning he got. He ducked, looking ahead of himself. A Brute Jumper flew over him, impacting the two who had their Maulers aimed at him. They all dropped to the floor.

Clicking his thanks at Six over the Com, he ran towards the three downed Jumpers, and kicked the first one in the jaw, knocking it out. That left, again, two. The next one he sliced across the throat with his Gauntlet blade. That left one. The final one was getting up, but he kicked it in the back, stabbing in the shoulder, behind which the heart was supposed to be. That left only the Chieftains.

Which now had a clear line of firing. He barrel-rolled to a pillar, hiding behind it as the Chieftains targeted him. Calmly, he looked in the reflection of a glass panel in the wall, surveying his surroundings.

The two Chieftains were standing in front of the Control Panel for the generator, both with weapons trained on him. His Katarn was embedded in the wall, the Brute having slid down, the blade making a clear cut through the shoulder. Near him, the weapon of said Brute lay.

Then he got another look at the panel, but this time looking through it. Six, while down on one knee, was already dealing with her last one, having already gutted it and ripping out the innards. To Fol's shock, it was still standing, and grunted when she squeezed the intestines.

The Chieftains were now noticing he had a partner, and turned their weapons. Now was his chance. He grabbed the Brute Shot, and emptied the weapon into the two Chieftains. The two turned, to him, weapons blazing.

He didn't know what happened next, but right in the face of one of them, there was a large explosion that made him raise the Brute shot instinctively to protect his face. When he looked again, he saw that the Brutes were dead.

"What the?" he muttered.

"Good aim." Void supplied. "You hit a Fuel-Rod while it just exited the barrel. It triggered the others, and... well... kaboom."

Six chuckled. "Void. I don't know if you've noticed. But wherever we go, things go kaboom anyway."

Six stepped forward to shut down the generator, as Fol stripped the dead of anything useful while he listened to the com.

"Good work, Arbiter." Commander Keyes said. "That's one. Fol and Six should be just about to-"

The room dimmed, and Fol knew Six had shut down the generator. He was surprised Six hadn't just shot the controls.

"That's two!" Keyes said. "It's all up to Johnson's team now."

Fol briefly glanced to the third generator. To his slight worry, it remained active.

"Get back outside, folks. Wait for transport." Keyes ordered.

They complied, and went down the elevator.

It looked like they had to aid Johnson, after all. Just as Six predicted.

His mood soured. Now he owed Six twenty credits.

* * *

 _Near Third Generator Tower._

"Objective in sight, commander." an UNSC Pilot reported. "No sign of Johnson or his team."

"Understood." Keyes replied. "Six, Arbiter, Chief: Clear an LZ, then get inside the tower."

John nodded, as he cleared the sky of Banshees. The Separatists had been dealt with, as evident by the debris of Phantom Wrecks in the waters below. Clearly, Covenant AA had been too tough.

But it wasn't too tough now, when the separatists had returned, with three times as much firepower, _and_ bringing the Sang'Katarnéé and the UNSC for support. In short, it was a massacre for the Brutes.

As he set down, a Hornet who had been taking on three Banshees at once came in fast, yet almost undamaged. Just as it was about to crash, it put enormous power in the engines, stopping the descent. It came to a complete stop, and landed. As John got out, he saw an Elite step off of the landing strut. Then, he wobbled a bit, before regaining his balance. John approached it, and recognized him: Fol Katarn.

Fol turned to the pilot, and started yelling. "That's the last time I let _you_ fly!"

"Ah, shut up, Fol." Six said, as she got out. "We didn't crash, did we?"

"In spite of your best efforts."

"I leave you two alone for a few hours, and already you two argue like a married couple." Wilson remarked jokingly.

Both sent him glares that would have killed a Brute at that remark. The ODST got the idea, and shut up.

John moved to get inside, but just as he did...

The next thing he saw, this time, wasn't Cortana, but a barren world. He didn't recognize it, but he damn well saw it wouldn't have mattered. The entire surface was covered in Flood tissue and writhing tentacles. The air was thick with Flood Spores. Everywhere he looked, he saw that the Flood had complete control.

And he was again in that weird civilian garb he wore in the vision before waking up in the garage of Crow's Nest.

The shapes in front of him changed, and he saw the Gravemind forming. The bones of past victims forming the teeth. The bodies of all the beings killed that made up the body. Jacob Keyes. Private Jenkins. Sergeant Reynolds. The Prophets of Regret and Mercy. All of them.

And, to his shock, some of them hadn't been infected in the real worlds as well: Johnson, Wilson, Dubbo, Stacker, Banks.

Even Parisa Mattock, Marine Lieutenant in the UNSC Marine Corps.

His biological twin sister, even if he barely stood still with that fact.

" _This is what happens, John Mattock 117, when you drag your allies into the battle between giants._ " the Gravemind said.

Then, the image morphed, and he was back in the real world.

To his surprise, the others had barely moved. They mustn't have seen him like that. He moved on. The sooner Truth was dealt with, the sooner he could retrieve Cortana.

He wasn't aware, however, that two people had spotted it. A Spartan like him, without equal, and an Elite, who swore to himself he would help his new comrade.

* * *

Thel dispatched the last of the Brute Stalkers, as the Spartans continued firing at the War Chieftain. All the while, the Field-Marshal he had known was sneaking up on it, staying in the shadows, before stabbing the Brute in the back. It went down, either heavily wounded, paralyzed or dead. Any would suit him.

The marines and other soldiers, including N'tho and Usze, who had accompanied him and the Spartan all this way, were waiting below, holding the area secure against Brute reinforcements, as well as searching for Johnson. The sergeant had gone missing here while they were busy with the other generators. Taken by Brutes, they assumed, as some of the last words he said were that he was pinned down by Brute reinforcements. He might still be around, but Thel suspected the Marines wouldn't bet on it.

The Master Chief stepped forward, and deactivated the final generator. As expected, the generator shut down, along with the lights in the tower. The barrier fell a second later.

"Now, Prophet." R'tas Vadum goaded as the Shadow of Intent moved in for the Bombardment. "Your end has come." Inwardly, as they all looked on, Thel smiled. It seemed fate was with them today. They could actually _stop_ Truth, and save the Galaxy!

Of course, fate turned around to stab them in the back.

Over their heads, from the Portal, something emerged. And as more of the object became visible, the more Thel's gut wretched.

It was High-Charity. _Former_ Capital of the Covenant. Former home of the treacherous Hierarchs. _Current_ home of an army of Flood. Current home of a hideous Gravemind. This was the worst thing that could have happened at the wrong time.

"High Charity?" R'tas said disbelievingly. Then, R'tas seemed to get back to reality. "By the Gods! Brace for Impact!"

From the massive Station, small sections coated with Flood forms fell off to land on the Ark, spreading the infection. One pretty big piece pierced the hull of the Shadow of Intent, crippling her. The ship listed, and drifted away from the citadel.

Another, however, was of more immediate concern. Namely, because it was headed for _them_. It crashed through the window above, landing on the floor in front of the elevator. Ot was so deformed by heat he couldn't even make out what part of the Hull it had been, or how it even looked like. It looked like it was just molten rock cooled down again.

He and the others raised their weapons at it, as undoubtedly the Flood forms would soon emerge from it. He didn't have to wait long. Barely two seconds after touchdown, Flood Pure forms started pouring out of it.

"Wish I had a Flamethrower about now." the female Spartan said. "Would make this a lot easier."

"Last time we gave you one, you nearly burned _us_ in ecstasy." the male one responded. "So no: even if we had one, we wouldn't give it to you."

"Buzzkill."

"Survivor's the better term."

Thel was forced to divert his attention, as a Juggernaut stepped out of the remains of the rock. It seemed to be the last form. Like the boss in the sort of 'videogames' the Marine Dubbo had shown him. An apt comparison, but not one he took a moment for to contemplate.

Instead, he dropped his Carbine, and took out his Energy Blade. He knew the only way to truly kill them was to do as much Tissue damage as possible. And what better way to do so than dismembering?

He saw that Fol had the same idea, since the other Elite also had out his Swords. Together, they charged, ready to sever whatever Tentacle was swung their way. Instead of swinging, however, the gestalt thing tried to stab them. Thel jumped over it and stabbing down, while Fol whirled around it and slashed it off.

The Juggernaut reeled back the tentacles, obviously aware of the dangers. It was still not safe, as the Spartans fired at it. The Master Chief fired at the massive thing with a Spartan Laser recovered from the Hornet, while the Kaidon of Sang'Katarn launched Grenades from a covered position. After a few blasts, the thing brought its tentacles up to protect its body, but this opened it up for Fol and Thel to come closer.

The thing, to their surprise, started running towards them, and they were forced to jump out of the way. It continued charging, however, towards the pair of Spartans. The Master Chief, instead of firing back, turned his back to the thing, and charged his laser.

Whatever he was planning, the other Spartan got the idea. She moved to the side, and aimed for the window. After a moment, she fired a grenade at it. It exploded at the same time as the Master Chief fired, and it heavily damaged the window. The thing, during this, was getting closer and closer towards them.

Just as Thel feared the thing was on to them, the Spartans rolled to the side, the female throwing a Plasma Grenade at the window as she did. The Juggernaut hit the window with the force of a battering ram, and the window, already damaged by the weaponry of the Spartans and the crashing debris from High Charity, broke. The Juggernaut didn't stop, as it had the momentum of a moving Shadow. It crashed through, falling into the abyss below.

The Spartans got up, and the Chief looked down to see if they were rid of it. After a moment of looking, the Spartan moved on, satisfied with the result. They all got back on the lift, and went back down.

"Shipmaster." Keyes asked over the com. "What's your status?"

"Significant damage. Weapons systems disabled."

"Move to a safe distance." Kal Katarn ordered over the com. "Keep clear of the parasite."

"Why the _hell_ would it come here?" a Sangheili air commander asked. "What is out here worth it to bring an entire _hive_ over?"

"The Ark is out of range of all active installations." Contrite Vestige explained. "A perfect shelter from the array. Priority: We must contain this outbreak before-"

"No." Keyes interrupted. "First we stop Truth. _Then_ we deal with the Flood."

They got back down. Clearly, the Flood hadn't made it down this far, as the Elites all stood on edge, but weren't firing their weapons. Neither did the marines. But the fact they were on edge meant they knew at least something.

As they jumped off, N'tho stepped towards them. "We heard. The Shadow of Intent has been disabled."

"Indeed." Thel answered. "Lets head outside. We await for orders there."

the others all nodded, and as one, everyone made for the exits. The Flood, it seemed, hadn't made it down yet, as there wasn't anyone infected laying around on the way in. This was also true for the outside.

The Separatists weren't infected. In fact, they were busy organizing the landing of multiple vehicles: a Ghost, a Mongoose, a Revenant, a Gausshog, a Scorpion and a Wraith, in two lines of three. All of them faced a cliff-door that had been closed previously.

"Shipmaster's carrier is out of commission, people." Keyes said to them over the com. "I'll need all of you to take down Truth. The Flood's just going to put pressure on him; accelerate his plans."

Thel complied wordlessly, getting into the Wraith. The Master Chief went into the Scorpion tank, with Wilson going into the turret seat. The female Kaidon of Sang'Katarn hopped onto the Mongoose, Fol riding the back of it with a newly-supplied Fuel-Rod gun. Usze and N'tho hopped into the Gausshog and immediately started to drive.

"Punch through the cliffs." Keyes ordered. "Get inside that Citadel, Now!"

The group drove into the Cliff. All knew what was at stake. If they failed, all life would cease to exist. No way were they going to mess it up.

The Mongoose drove ahead of the others, drawing attention away from the convoy charging the Citadel through the cliffs, so that the others could attack without being fired on immediately themselves.

The tactic seemed to work. They passed the first Brute checkpoint: a Watchtower with Brutes wielding Fuel-Rod guns manning them, with a few parked Brute choppers beside them. To the slow tanks it would have been devastating to try and pass them. But the Mongoose just drove past it, with Fol firing his own Fuel-Rod gun at the tower, drawing attention away. A few Brutes jumped off, and landed on the Choppers. They immediately got behind the controls, and initiated pursuit of the Mongoose.

They made it ten meters before they were blasted apart by Thel, his Wraith tearing through the ranks of the Brutes. The Watchtower was already blasted apart by the Master Chief in the Scorpion tank.

After a moment, the Mongoose stopped, so the others could catch up.

"Citadel in sight." the Spartan in the Mongoose reported. "Eleven o'clock."

Thel looked over there as well. Indeed, the tall building that was the citadel became visible from behind the cliffside. To his right, however, he could see two things of more immediate interest: the only safe path down for vehicles, and the entire Brute army mobilizing to stop them.

"Brutes are mobilizing everything they've got." an ODST in the Ghost reported.

Thel did not waste time, and neither did the others. The Mongoose and Warthog shot forward immediately, meeting the Brute Choppers and Prowlers head-on. The Gausshog managed to drive on off a cliff by blasting the cliff edge beside it, making it crumble underneath the Brute. It crashed down to the canyon below.

Thel turned his attention more further away, when he saw a blue flash. A hostile Wraith Mortar tank was trying to blast them to smithereens from a distance. He instantaneously dodged the blue plasma bolt, and aimed his own mortar at the tank. The hostile Wraith, in turn, dodged.

But opened itself up to the Scorpion Tank. The Master Chief blasted at the tank, hitting the side. It heavily damaged it, and it stopped hovering, but Thel could see the mortar was still operational. He fired a final blast to finish it off. As soon as it was clear, the group moved on.

It went that way for most of the time on the cliff, with the Warthog, Mongoose, Revenant and Ghost taking on the Choppers, Prowlers, hostile Ghosts and Watchtowers, while Thel and the Master Chief fired at the heavy weapons the Brutes threw at them.

"Hornets inbound!" Stacker announced, as the convoy came to the final ramp to the field connected to the Citadel. The Mongoose immediately diverted, meeting the Hornets upon landing. The Spartan and Sang'Katarn Elite got off their Mongoose, and immediately hopped into the Hornets.

The others made their way down, wordlessly depending on the two airborne soldiers for air support.

The ETA to the Citadel delayed quite a bit.

"Incoming!" Fol warned. The second he said it, four heavy, large objects impacted the ground near the Citadel. Thel's face grew pale.

"I count two Protos Scarabs and two Deutoros Scarabs! Repeat, _four_ Scarabs!" air control warned.

"We don't have time for this." the female Spartan said over the com. "Chief, Arbiter: Make your way to the Citadel. We'll keep these bastards busy."

"You su-" the Master Chief tried to interrupt, but the Kaidon wasn't having any of it.  
'I said GO! If you two fail, a lot of people are gonna die."

needing no further motivation, Thel drove his Wraith to a raised platform near the Citadel, of which the top was parallel with the building's entrance. Two times, he had to boost the vehicle a bit as the Deutoros focused fire on him. The Spartan seemed to have abandoned his vehicle in favor of something faster, a hijacked Brute Chopper. To Thel's disgust, the Brute was still hanging from the backseat, dead but pinned to the rear. It was a bloody mess.

"The Flood is scaling the far wall." the Monitor said. "I'm activating the Lightbridge. It's a calamity we don't have more time."

Thel nodded, as he drove onto the Platform. The Spartan was already on it. As Thel arrived, the two began to run across the Bridge. The sudden green glow behind him told Thel enough: One of the Scarabs had spotted them, and was trying to it them. The second, blue explosion also told him the Wraith was now a wreck.

Then, just as they were about to enter, a Warthog sped past, before falling off the edge of the Bridge. Two Elites jumped out before it was too deep, clinging onto the Bridge. They climbed on, and got inside before the Scarab could hit them. Thel and the Spartan got inside moments before the blast reached the door.

Thel looked at the two suicidal Elites, and wasn't that surprised to see it were N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham who had followed them.

"You two are insane, you know that?" Thel said.

"Maybe." N'tho answered. "But we promised we would follow you to the end, and that's what we will do."

"All the way to the gates of hell, if we need to." Usze added.

Thel just stared at them, slightly surprised. He knew from experience that these two were loyal to a fault. But to willingly follow him this far? That spoke of true respect for a someone. And, considering that Thel had been shamed into the rank of Arbiter shortly before the Great Schism, it spoke of a great change as well.

The Spartan, in another of the moments where he was... absent, finally moved to join them. Before anyone could ask anything, though, the monitor screens on the side of the hall changed.

Showing Truth.

"My Faithful:" Truth started preaching. "Stand Firm."

they all immediately saw they had to hurry, and sprinted towards the elevator at the end of the hall. If the Prophet started preaching, it meant he was about to activate the rings.

"Though our enemies crowd around us, we tread the blessed path. In a moment, I will light the rings! And all who believe shall be saved!"

Thel looked on in horror, as the view changed to show something behind Truth.

Sergeant Johnson, beaten up and held up by a Brute.

* * *

Keyes punched the console, as she watched the feed, received by Huragok who had hacked into the Covenant battlenet for her. She hit the com. "Chief, how close are you?"

"Not close enough." came the immediate answer.

 _Blast! The Master Chief wouldn't arrive in time to stop Truth. There was no one else clo-_

 _No! there was someone!_

Her. Commander Miranda Keyes. Her Pelican was close enough to the Citadel's top to get there in time and stop Truth.

Hocus would have to provide the support she promised to Six and the ones keeping the Scarab tanks busy. She had to stop Truth. She maneuvered the Pelican until she was aligned with the central window. Inside, she could see Johnson, Truth and his bodyguards, and the console that would activate every ring in the galaxy.

Without hesitation, she pushed the throttle forward, and the Pelican sped forward with it. She closed the distance to the Control Room. With a loud crash, she smashed through the window, and let the Pelican slide to a halt onto the edge of the platform, ramming and killing one of the bodyguards in the process. She got out of the pilot's seat, grabbed her shotgun, and walked out.

Directly in front of her, a Brute, dazed by his attempt to avoid the Pelican, was attempting to get up. Without a second thought, she blasted him in the face. After that, she called out to the Sergeant, trying to find him. "Johnson! Sound off!"

The man emerged from behind the terminal, clutching his side. He coughed a bit as he stood up. "Get out of here."

"Not without you." she responded. Then, reacting to growling at her side, she turned to her right, blasting a Brute in the face. The helmet was blasted off, and it staggered, but it didn't go down. She loaded another shell into the Chamber, but before she could finish it off, another growl sounded behind her.

"You cannot delay the inevitable." Truth said from somewhere out of her view. "One of you _will_ Light the Rings."

realizing she was outgunned, she also drew her pistol, aiming it at another Brute, and emptying a clip into its face. By her count, she had only two bullets left by the time it finally went down. But, as she looked around her, she had no hope. Three more bodyguards were up, with another five behind spread around the room. The Master Chief might have succeeded with these odds. The Arbiter might have, too. With a lot of ordnance, even an ODST might have won.

But she, a naval officer with only slightly above minimum weapons training, would lose. As if to prove her point, Truth continued to goad on. "You cannot hope to kill them all."

something about that tone suddenly helped Keyes make a plan. Indeed, they wouldn't get out of here. There was no way they could stop Truth and get out alive.

But they didn't need to.

She eyed her pistol. "You're right." she said. Then, she aimed her pistol at the Sergeant. The man in question nodded, understanding what needed to be done as well. She put her finger on the trigger. But, to her own frustration, she hesitated.

Johnson was a good soldier, and had aided her plenty enough, especially after he had personally delivered the news to her that her father was dead. He had helped her get back on track, make her more determined to fight on. No, she couldn't shoot the man.

"Do it." Johnson grunted. He staggered towards her.

No, she needed to do it, as much as she hated it. Truth needed a living human to activate the rings, and she and Johnson were the only ones within his reach. There was no way they'd make it to the Pelican and get out of there without one of the Brutes stopping them. There was only one solution, and that was to kill themselves.

With a heavy heart, she pulled the trigger.

The weapon jammed.

Cursing, she raised her shotgun, but a Brute immediately jumped forward and hit her, smacking the weapon out of her hands and knocking her down. She was immediately picked up, and tossed aside. Her back hit the Pelican hard, and she cried out in pain. She also felt something snap, and heard a crack. Immediately, she felt another massive spike of pain, and she couldn't muffle an outcry of it.

To her horror, she also started to lose the feeling in her legs. She was paralyzed.

The Brute, somehow catching on to her helplessness, picked her up and tossed her into the pelican. She landed hard on her head, and let darkness overtake her, as Truth took Johnson to activate the array.

* * *

John grunted, as he jumped up the last bit, and landed on the right floor. As he looked, he saw seven Rings of light in front of him, all in one line, between him and the control panel. Two of them, the middle one and the one second farthest away, lit up. The middle one had red sections missing, while the other one was red entirely.

Before he could move to reach the control terminal and stop the rings, two Flood Tank forms dropped down from above, landing in front of him. Immediately, he raised his Assault Rifle at them. He also heard the Arbiter activate his Energy Sword, and the other two Elites charged their Plasma Rifles up, ready to unleash a barrage of Plasma bolts at them.

To their surprise, the Tank forms raised their arms. "Do not shoot, but listen!" the voice of the Gravemind spoke through the Tank forms. Hesitantly, he slightly lowered his rifle. The Arbiter looked at him, and hesitantly lowered his own blade as well.

Satisfied, the Gravemind continued to speak. "We share a common goal. Let my body be your shield. I shall not fight you! Let me lead you safely to our foe. Only you can halt what he has set in motion."

John saw multiple Floodforms drop down, all ignoring him and the Elites. Immediately, the things scuffled towards the end of the walkway, where the key to ending it all lay. He shared a look with the Arbiter. Both didn't trust the Flood as far as they could spit them. But they had no choice. If they did this on their own, they would take too long, and the rings would wipe out all life in the galaxy. Like it or not, they needed the Flood.

But that didn't mean they would trust it. From the look he shared with the Elite, the Arbiter had the same idea.

Not wasting more time on analyzing the situation, he joined the horde of Flood forms in advancing on the Covenant defenses. The Elites were right behind him.

The walkway consisted of three sections, separated by archways with rooms underneath each of the two. The middle one had three projectors for the rings, the rest of the walkway had two, making the total seven. John could see that the Flood were busy killing all the Drones, Jackals and Brutes guarding the first section. It were far too many Flood forms to stop them, and half climbed over the archway to already attack the next section.

John, to his surprise, only managed to kill three Covenant members, and the Elites didn't do much better. The Flood overtook the rest, infecting the Brutes and Jackals and tossing the Drones over the edge of the walkway. They advanced.

As they passed through the first room, a hologram of the control pedestal became visible. It showed Johnson punching Truth, before being pulled off by the Brutes. The Prophet, pushed from his chair, fell down to the ground and stayed there.

"Die, you Bastards!" Johnson yelled, as he picked up a Spiker. "This is for Harvest, !"

The Sergeant fired the Spiker as he backpedaled to something not shown on the hologram. The Brutes, enraged, raised their weapons and fired at the Sergeant.

John moved on. Johnson looked like he was in trouble, and they needed to reach the terminal fast.

The second section of the walkway was heavily battled. Brute Jumpers and Flood Stalkers both jumped from spot to spot, each trying to get a better angle of attack on the other side. Brute Chieftains fought Tank forms with Gravity Hammers, trying to knock them off the walkway. While the Brutes were mostly succeeding at this, for every form they smashed off, three took its place. Again, the Flood had already reached the next archway, and was scaling it as they looked.

John fired his Assault Rifle at the nearest Jumper, as it landed in front of him, its armor already breached. The Brute looked around in surprise. But before he could kill it, a horde of Flood infection forms swarmed it, and it rapidly started to turn into a combat form. The Jump Pack, too bulky for the form, broke off and fell into multiple pieces on the ground.

Disturbed by the sight, he moved on to another target, a Brute Chieftain. It was one of the last ones on the walkway, and was about to be overwhelmed by Thel and another Tank form. He fired a burst into its face, distracting it. The Arbiter took the opportunity, and stabbed the Brute in the back, killing it.

The walkway was mostly clear by now, and what Brutes that remained were in no position to intervene. John moved through the second archway, the Elite pair already there. As he entered the room, the Hologram showed only the Prophet laying on the ground, conscious but not moving. He moved on, as this time there was nothing worthy of interest visible.

The last walkway was already cleared, with multiple corpses laying around. The Flood, standing like an honor guard in two lines mirroring each other (down to the class of form facing the other), ending at the terminal to a bridge. The other end was connected to the Platform that contained the terminal. He pressed the console, and the bridge activated.

As he and the Arbiter walked across, with the other two Elites following, John looked over the platform. He noted that a Pelican had crash-landed there, and the number painted on the side identified it as being the one piloted by Commander Keyes.

He stepped onto the platform, and saw there was no threat. All the Brutes were dead, blasted in the face by Brute Spikers. He noted that most of the bodies lay at the entrance to the Pelican's interior. He moved over to look inside.

Johnson was strapping a wounded Keyes to a seat with the safety belt, to ensure she wouldn't move. "She's paralyzed, Chief." the sergeant explained without looking up. "A Brute tossed her about, and snapped her spine. She can't walk."

John nodded. "Ready the pelican. She needs medical aid from a Huragok." Johnson complied, and moved into the cockpit.

* * *

Thel moved to the body of the Prophet, as soon as he spotted it. N'tho and Usze did as expected, and kept the walkway secure. Just because the Flood helped them get here didn't mean they trusted it close enough to not ambush them here. Not while Thel got his just revenge.

As he approached the body, the San'Shyuum tried to get up. As he saw him, the bastard dared to speak.

"Can you see, Arbiter?" Truth asked weakly. "The moment of salvation... is at hand."

"It will not last." Thel vehemently said, as he arrived at the weakling's body. He roughly grabbed its neck, and lifted it until it was level with him. Despite slightly choking from the light grip, the Prophet glared at Thel.

Then, even at his death, he managed to surprise Thel.

He blamed _him_.

"Your kind... never believed in the promise of the sacred rings, Thel Vadam." the Prophet spat. "You and all of-"

"Lies for the weak!" a second voice emerged from the body, and Thel immediately activated his blade. It was the voice of the Gravemind. The Flood Spores must have entered his body, and started to infect it. He didn't have long before the Gravemind took over the body.

"You ruined my life." Thel declared at the Prophet. " _You_ made me commit Genocide without good cause. _You_ made me ashamed in my own people's eyes. _You_ ensure the death's of thousands of my kinsmen, and those of millions of humans." He paused, glancing at the Flood still on the walkway. "I will have my revenge. On a _Prophet_. _Not_ a plague."

"My feet tread the path, Arbiter!" Truth persisted defiantly. "Whether by your permission or not, _Heretic_ , I shall become... a _GOD_!"

The Gravemind took further control of Truth, and biomass emerged from the skin. "You will only be food, _meddler_." The Gravemind said through Truth. "It is far more than you deserve."

Truth was about to say something hostile again, when both glanced aside. Truth's eyes widened in horror.

The Master Chief had emerged from the Pelican, and was standing at the Terminal. His hand was over the button that would stop the array.

"NO!" Truth yelled. But it was too late.

The Spartan touched the panel. Instantly, one by one, the holograms of the active rings dimmed. The power pulsing through the building shut down. Thel let out a sigh of relief.

It was done. The array was stopped. It was all over.

Except for one matter. One that meant everything to Thel.

Truth managed to stand on his own, despite his weakened body and the infection coursing through him.

"I... Am... TRUTH!" the San'Shyuum declared defiantly, looking at the Chief. "The _Voice_ of the Covenant!"

"And so..." Thel said, as he grabbed the Prophet by the neck so violently it toppled off his crown. It clattered to the floor. Thel grabbed his Blade a little tighter.

"you must be _silenced_!" he said, as he plunged his Energy Sword into Truth's back, ensuring it was in full view of the holographic projector displaying them to the remainder of Covenant Loyalist forces, and the occasional Separatist forces hacked in. Ensuring it showed him, Thel Vadam, Arbiter of the Separatist Forces, stabbing the Prophet of Truth, killing him in such a way that left no doubt that he was truly dead.

Truth gasped as he felt the blade pierce his heart, though Thel secretly suspected he didn't have one. Then, the Prophet slumped, dead. Thel pulled his blade out of the body, and tossed it to the floor. As soon as he did, he let out a roar of triumph, lifting his blade into the air. The Spartan, Usze and N'tho acknowledged it by nodding, the Spartan for seeing the death of the one who declared war on his species and almost drove it to extinction, the two Elites for seeing justice done for the Great Schism the Prophet caused.

The Sergeant, who had gotten out of the Pelican, clapped slowly. "Impressive."

The Spartan looked at the Sergeant. Then, he looked up slightly, chuckling. The others looked at him. The Spartan, seeing their confusion, started to elaborate. "Johnson, you were at the battle of Harvest, right? The very first battle between our kinds?"

Johnson nodded. "Yep. I'm a true veteran, worthy of the retirement benefit."

"Then that means you are the only human to witness both the beginning _and_ the end of the war."

Thel looked at the Sergeant with a new eye. This newfound knowledge made the Arbiter respect him even more. Surviving the entire war, all the way back to the very first battle? That was indeed an impressive feat. The Sergeant shrugged, disinterested in the fact. "Yeah, well... all I see it means is that I'm getting _old_. Lets go before the grey hairs catch up to me."

not wanting to stay here longer than necessary, they all walked into the pelican, eager to leave.

Flood tentacles suddenly shot out from below, and continued to climb. Thel immediately tried to jump in, but only made it to the edge, and with a bad grip at that. As he lost it, the Spartan grabbed his hand, and tried to lift him back inside. One of the tentacles, however, shot out, and hit the Pelican. Immediately, the Pelican lost control, and the Spartan dropped out as well, along with Thel. They landed back at the Control panel. Immediately, both of them got up, and began to stand back to back. The Pelican, they saw, was spinning out of control outside.

"Now the gate has been unlatched." the Gravemind said. "Headstones pushed aside. Corpses shift and offer room, a fate you must abide."

Thel reactivated his blade. Exasperated, he turned his head to the Spartan. "We traded one villain for another."

wordlessly agreeing, the Spartan nodded, raising his Assault Rifle. The Tentacles advanced... and suddenly pulled back, as a Swarm of Sentinels, led by a Green Monitor, swarmed the Control Room. All of them opened fire on the Tentacles, driving them back.

"Head below, Reclaimer." the Monitor said. "I will delay them. But the Solution I supplied your construct is visible below. Head to the lift, and descend the shaft. Introductions will come later."

Neither of them understood the Monitor. But there was still an army of Flood forms out there, all of them trying to infect or kill them. And the only exit was to tear through them.

"Lets sprint this." the Spartan said. "Don't fall behind."

Thel nodded, as he raised his Energy Sword. "Copy that."

then, as soon as the first Flood form started to cross the bridge, they ran. The Spartan took the lead, firing at the forms that tried to storm them. Thel slashed at whatever form came closest to them, ensuring both remained unharmed. The Flood, in turn tried to overwhelm them through sheer numbers, throwing everything they had at them. Tank Forms lumbered towards them, using their massive arms to propel themselves forward. Stalker and Juggernaut Forms leaped at them, trying to slash them to pieces. Ranged Forms tried to shoot at them with the spikes that grew from their back lumps.

None made it far, as the Sentinels provided aid, covering them as they made their way to the Elevator. Only once did they falter, when the Spartan had another of the 'moments' forced into his mind. But Thel had covered him while the Spartan slowed down, and helped him regain speed once he recovered. Together, blasting through or evading the Flood, they made it to the elevator. Immediately, a part of the wall lit up. Thel didn't hesitate a moment, and turned around to cover the Spartan as the human dove in. After a second, and a glance behind him to ensure the Spartan actually went in, he dived right after.

He stopped almost immediately. The shaft ended only three floors down. Thel worried slightly that the Flood might follow them. Then, multiple thuds sounded above him, and he looked up.

To his relief, he could see multiple panels shut on their own within the shaft, cutting them off from the Flood.

The Spartan, seeing something he didn't, started to walk down one direction of the hallway. Thel stared after him.

"What do you see?" he asked. When no reply came, he started to follow.

After a few corners, they came to a closed observation bay. The Spartan pressed a panel, and the bay door in front of them opened. The view beyond showed the planet they spotted earlier at the center of the Ark. To their slight surprise, chunks had been taken out of it. But before either could wonder where they went, they saw something extraordinary. And _massive_.

A giant ring started to rise from said center, surrounding the planet. It rose until it towered over them, and continued rising. And the bottom of the ring wasn't even in immediate sight. Thel gazed in wonder at the thing. It wasn't complete yet, as they could still see clear steel beams that formed the structure of it.

"A replacement Ring." Thel said aloud as he realized what the massive thing was. "For the ring you destroyed."

"When did you know?" the Spartan asked.

"Your friend? Just now." An unknown voice answered behind them, and they turned. Behind them floated the unknown Monitor, accompanied by Guilty Spark, Penitent Tangent and Contrite Vestige.

"Me?" it continued. "Ever since I started to oversee its construction over a month ago."

"Who are you?" the Spartan asked.

"000 Tragic Solitude, Monitor of Installation 00, AKA the Ark."

"But what will you do with this Ring, Reclaimer?" Spark asked.

"Light it." the Spartan answered without hesitation. The Monitors immediately started to glow brighter, overjoyed with this answer.

"Then we are all agreed." Spark answered. A tactical pulse will completely eradicate the local infestation. I will go and oversee the final preparations, though it will take some time to fabricate an activation index."

it started to float away, and was talking to itself more than anything else. The other Monitors, seeing they had no purpose staying here, dismissed themselves and floated away.

Thel looked at the Spartan, wondering something. "How will you light it?"

The Spartan pointed behind Thel, and he looked at where the man was pointing. Immediately, his stomach sank. The Master Chief was pointing at the wreck of High-Charity, which was, although aflame and scorched all over, mostly intact.

"Cortana." the Spartan said. "When we left the first Halo, she took something with her for us. A... souvenir. It will ensure Halo's activation."

Thel switched from looking at High-Charity to the Spartan and back, before settling on the Spartan. "You do realize that you will travel into the Sharquoi's lair if you go in there?"

The Spartan just nodded. "I know. Which is why I am going alone."

Thel's eyes widened in shock. "Are you insane?"

"No." the Spartan retorted. "But the more go in, the larger the chance of being spotted. Besides, I don't have time to guard my allies every second in that deathtrap. This is something I will do myself."

"Some things you can't do alone, Spartan." Thel tried.

"And some things you have to. Oversee the evacuation. Now that Halo's stopped, there's no use remaining here in this flood trap, especially if we activate the replacement while it's still out of range."

Thel nodded. "I'll do that. I just hope you know what you're doing."

* * *

"Let me get this straight." Six said, as she accompanied the Master Chief to the Armory of the Great Lance. "You want me to give you the most faulty Banshee we have that can get you to High-Charity, the best weapons the Sang'Katarn forgers have produced, to go into the lion's den of the gravemind, find Cortana, and get out alive, without backup?"

"That about sums it up." John said. "Got a problem with that?"

"No." Six said sarcastically, as they arrived. "I am fine with the fact you want to commit a suicide mission while suffering from hallucinations of Cortana, the Gravemind or whatever, you see when you doze off for a few seconds."

John tensed. "How the hell did you know?" he demanded.

"Unlike most people, I'm not stupid. You hesitate for a microsecond, and a Spartan notices." the Kaidon responded. "No worries: As far as I know, only I and the Arbiter know."

John sighed a bit in relief, assured people didn't see him as incapable of this. Still, the hard part came now. "Will you help me?"

"Like hell: I'm coming with you." she said, as she grabbed a Shotgun, and tossed it to him. He caught it with one hand, and put it on his back.

"Absolutely not." he said. "You have a people to look after. And Fol can't evacuate them on his own. He'll need your help."

"You need it more." Six retorted, as she picked up an Energy Sword.

"Maybe. But this I need to do on my own. And as much as I appreciate another Hyper-lethal at my side, I can handle this on my own."

Six relented, and lay down her own weapons. In the threshold of the doorway, she paused. "Thing is, John, you don't have to."

He nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "See you in a day."

The S-III turned and saluted. "Hanger three, speak to Kalos Ossal'ee. Tell him I ordered him to give you his banshee. Got damaged during the four-scarab-battle, and has been awaiting repairs. It will suit your purposes."

John nodded, and went on his way.

He had an AI to retrieve.

* * *

 **Here, the long-delayed next chapter of this story. once again, sorry for the long wait. I promise, the next chapter will come much faster than this one.**

 **As usual, I would like some reviews for this.**

 **until next time, at High-Charity**

 **Gharst Omenlumin**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4, Ready to go. I won't bore you with details or excuses. I made great progress in the days following the previous upload, but I got bigger things that drew my attention. Now, here it is: High-Charity.**

 **Clarification: I actually researched about this particular level, and learned a few things which I drew inspiration from. One: It was supposed to be split into two levels, both shorter and easier than this end result. Two: the interior was supposed to be far more like the High-Charity observed in Halo 2 as opposed to the innards of the Gravemind we observed in game, which I partially incorporated here. Three: Once you retrieved Cortana, you were supposed to get to drive a Scarab. Shame that that hasn't happened. anyway, I tried to be very original with this part, even if it is very AU.**

 **also, for safety, this Chapter is rated M**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Halo.**

 **Request: reviews! i can't improve if I don't have good comparisons.**

 **To guest identified as FF7: I aim to please**

* * *

 **For clarification when who is talking:**

"Johnson and I are..." normal speech

 _ **Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness. A father's sins pass to his son.**_ Gravemind speech (mental)

 _No! Cortana, hold on!_ thoughts

I chose you that day, John, because I believe in you. Cortana speech (mental)

* * *

Halo 3: The Ark

Chapter 4

The air close to the crashed space station was filled with smoke and Flood Spores by the time John got close enough with the damaged Banshee to make out any features or openings. The Station had crashed in a water reservoir close to the core of the Ark, and from the looks of it, the interior had been breached below water level. Meaning the Flood hive... was _flooded_.

He felt the small ship drop slightly, before regaining altitude again. As much as he realized it made sense, he slightly cursed his choice for a Banshee that was falling apart. Still, he suspected he would find another way out, and wasting a good Banshee was just out of the question.

Besides, if the worst happened, he wouldn't be able to pick it back up anyway. After all, as said many times by people he past mere hours ago, it was a suicide mission. One they usually sent the Spartan-III's for. But he needed to do this.

Cortana's visions had been numerous enough to know that he needed to rescue her fast. She was tortured by the Gravemind non-stop, and the only outlet to decrease the 'pain', as much as an AI could feel one, was to contact him through those moments he had. The ones where she obscured his vision, and uttered odd phrases from his past. Sometimes ones even _he_ , with his enhanced memory, had forgotten. Like his original surname.

No, he needed to do this, on his own. The odds that he would make it were much smaller than the ones that he didn't, and he didn't want anyone else to go down with him. True, he might not make it without help, but anyone else had an even greater chance of dying than him, and babysitting was the last thing he could afford to do here.

Besides, he made a promise to Cortana that he would come back. And if he made a promise, he kept it.

He flew close enough to the ship to make out a few openings large enough for him to fly the Banshee through. As he approached one, he had a look inside.

To his surprise, the part he could see seemed to still be part of the original structure, uncorrupted by Flood Biomass. The Gravemind didn't seem to have expanded this far over the station yet. Also, the bottom of the station was filled with water, obviously from the reservoir the station had crashed in. There must have been a breach underwater, for it was almost like the lake just ignored the station, the water was that high.

He approached what used to have been a dock for larger warships, and set down on a cargo platform. As he exited the craft, he powered it down. As expected, he heard the inner systems short-circuit, frying the craft and ensuring it couldn't take off.

He analyzed the resources he had at his disposal: a Shotgun to keep the more powerful forms like Tank Forms and Juggernauts at bay, an Assault Rifle to kill the swarms of Infection forms, and two Plasma Rifles to take out all the forms between the two extremes, as well as an overwhelming supply of grenades. He had briefly considered taking a Flamethrower or Minigun with him as well, but it would only slow him down, and if he was slow, he would be a target. If he was slow, the Gravemind could pick him off at its own leisure. If he was slow, he would die for sure.

Just as he was about to make his first step, he jumped.

His com went off.

"Chief." Commander Keyes said. "Johnson and I am rounding up our survivors, to fall back to the Shadow. Shipmaster is doing the same with the Elites and other Separatists, as well as Six, Fol and the Sang'Katarnéé."

"Understood, Ma'am."

"Cortana's in there somewhere." Johnson said. "Good Luck, Chief."

John nodded, and stepped forward, activating the flashlight on his Shotgun. He had traveled quite a few hours, and had arrived at night. In here, he was in total darkness, and he would be blind. He slightly cursed his Mjolnir for not having the Night-vision it used to. At the moment, even the VISR-systems used by the ODST's would be appreciated. He could at least see the outlines of hostile beings. But he only had the flashlights provided with the weapons he wielded. And those only reached about five meters in front of him, which was not that far, considering he was two meters eighteen in armor.

He stalked forward, checking every meter three times before he stepped on it. In here, no place was safe.

Three docks into the ship, the Gravemind reached out to him, or his mind to be precise.

 _ **Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness. A father's sins pass to his son.**_ it asked, as John felt the pain in his head increase, like on the Pillar of Autumn, and that Flood ship at Voi.

"You know why." he answered.

 _ **Ah, of course. You came for**_ **her.** _**But we exist together, now. Two corpses in one grave.**_ it responded. Smugly.

"We'll see about that." John said, as he stepped forward. While back then, he had Cortana to help ignore the pain the first time, Six managed to beat through it on her own. And if she could do so, so could he.

After a few tentative steps, he managed to make a remarkably good pace. Slowly, he started to feel a bit normal again. He took another look around.

The shipyard was mostly abandoned. Most docking areas for craft were either empty or connected with wrecks. The intact ones must have either been taken by Elites or Brutes during the Great Schism, or used by the Flood to spread the infection to other ships, or possibly even the Ark. Even a cursory glance showed that the craft that remained were totally useless. They all missed either their engines, or had hull breaches and damage so massive the ship would shake itself trying to take off. One even missed the stern, which John could partially see below, in the lake, visible through the flames of breached fuel tanks on the outside.

There were weapons crates all around, filled with Covenant weapons. He ignored them for now: he had yet to stumble across even a small infection form, and he hadn't needed to fire his weapon yet. To his slight surprise: he came across a few bodies as he walked through the docks: a decomposing hunter stuck between two freight cars, crushed by still-active Gravity Lifts pushing against the cars, a Brute hanging from a chain locked around his thick neck, like a gallows hanging a corpse.

He walked past them all: they carried nothing useful, and he still had some schematics Cortana and that Zealot had given him the last time he was on the station. He didn't heavily depend on them; the Gravemind would have wrapped the structure around for its own uses during its stay there, and further inwards it would become less and less reliable. But for now, it was a good guide for further inwards.

After a good hour of walking and watching for Combat forms, he finally came to the exit from the docks, to the interior of the station. As he pressed the control to open the door, he immediately turned around. It was far too quiet for his liking. While he admitted he was surprised to encounter intact structure in there. But he had at least expected the Combat Forms to show up to stop him, or even a token greeting party of infection forms. But as he shone his light around, he saw nothing. He heard nothing. It reminded him too much of the first time he had encountered the Flood on the first Halo: at the Containment Facility, where they had lost Captain Jacob Keyes.

The door opened after a second, the lock shifting so the door could open. Again, there was no party to greet him upon arrival. His suspicion grew immediately.

This was one of few doorways that remained through which he could delve into the interior. If there was any way he was going to get close to the Gravemind and Cortana, it was here. Yet again, there was nothing to stop his advance. He briefly wondered taking another route, hoping for more resistance. But he immediately discarded it. Cortana needed him, and he couldn't afford to waste time satisfying his own suspicions. With a heavy heart, he stepped forward.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling he was walking into a trap.

He continued walking, following the halls wherever he could. Sometimes, he had to find a way around a collapsed ceiling, or go up a level only to go back down as soon as possible, due to the fact the structure suffered quite some damage during the crash. But overall, he managed to make good time traversing the dizzyingly similar hallways.

That stopped, when he finally managed to breach the outer dome, and have a good look at the interior.

The Flood had taken it over in its entirety. Where the Forerunner Keyship used to dominate the landscape, now Flood Biomass reached to the roof of the space station. Every structure in sight was... terraformed by it. Nothing was truly recognizable. While there were still structures where there used to be some, all were changed so drastically he didn't think he could even enter some. Some were taller than they used to be, some shorter. But everywhere he looked, there was Flood biomass over the place, and the air was thick with Flood Spores. Hell, his place was one of few the Dome _wasn't_ covered in Flood biomass. Beneath him, a ten meter drop, was a platform of Biomass sticking out, with a 'path' leading further into the hive.

One tower stood out slightly, as John recognized what was embedded into it, all the way from the other side of the station.

In Amber Clad. Commander Keyes' previous command. It was still a wreck, with the engine nozzles misshaped and bent. It was also ash-black, as fire had raged all across her superstructure. But it was one of few things he actually managed to recognize, and was the only thing in that area that wasn't covered in Flood crap.

He smiled to himself. Even here, in this hellhole of a place, Human engineering endured, as wounded as it was. If that managed to survive, so could he.

His spirits lifted slightly, he jumped down onto the platform, and started his track through the nine rings of hell.

* * *

Thel stood at attention briefly, as the door to the bridge of the Great Lance opened. He glanced briefly at the Guards, who stared ahead, looking out at the corridor. Just because he had been approved, and the Brutes were defeated, didn't mean that they would loosen up their security. After all, single operatives like Brute stalkers could still attempt to infiltrate the ship. Not that they would get far, since Sang'Katarn warriors were amongst the most skilled in history, not to mention that the current Kaidon, due to an odd accident barely two month ago, was in fact a Spartan-III, and a Hyper-Lethal no less. No, the Brutes wouldn't get far. Still, it was no excuse for lax security.

As he walked in, half of the crew turned to look at him, only to return their gaze to their stations shortly thereafter. Clearly, they were expecting him. Thel bowed his head in respect, and walked forwards, towards the Captain's chair. As he walked around it, to the front, he was surprised to find it empty.

"Have a seat." a voice said behind him, startling Thel. He smirked, as he turned around.

"There are few people who can sneak up on me." he said to the Kaidon. As usual, she was in full body armor, not a single bit of skin visible. Her armor, contrary to some of the images the humans adored in their spare time, wasn't built to make her female parts and features stand out more, but rather to truly function well on the battlefield. To his amusement, even on her own bridge, she was heavily armed: he counted six Combat knives, two Energy Swords, a human DMR and Grenade Launcher, and two bandoleers of grenades across her chest.

"I tend to surprise people with how stealthy I can be." the Kaidon answered. "Still, the offer stands."

He tilted his head in slight confusion.

The Spartan saw it, and elaborated. "You can still have the seat. Void's running the ship, so don't worry about accidentally launching a Nuke or something."

"Thank you, but I prefer to stand." he answered.

"Something we have in common, then." the Kaidon said, as moved to stand beside him. Together, they looked down on the Shadow of Intent and Prophesied Resurgence, an Assault Carrier and Super Carrier, respectively. Both were on the Ark's surface, evacuating the armies that had stopped Truth, as well as any Brutes that had surrendered following the death of Truth. From the looks of it, things were being finished up down there. Still, the Kaidon didn't summon him to simply stare at the evacuation. And he had an idea what it was.

"Is there a reason for bringing me here?" he asked. The Spartan just nodded in response.

"I want you to travel to High-Charity, and assist the Master Chief any way you can."

he sighed. He had expected something like this. And inwardly, he agreed with her. But still, he had to keep up appearances of a leader. And a leader couldn't absence themselves from their troops just because they wanted to.

"What about the armies below? Shipmaster Vadum-"

"Can handle things on his own." the Kaidon interrupted. "Or with my help if necessary. The Chief needs you more."

"The Master Chief said that he didn't desire our help." he insisted.

"The Master Chief has a tendency of underestimating the power of having allies." the Kaidon said, also persisting. "Did you know that the Chief initially was opposed to pairing with Cortana?"

Thel looked at her confused. "The Construct he's retrieving right now?" he asked.

"The very one." she answered with an amused tone. "He thought she'd be a hindrance. And yet, barely three months later, right now, he is willing to go through hell to get her back. You know why?"

Thel only stared on in silence, not knowing the answer.

"Because he trusts her, enough to believe she managed to resist the Gravemind's tortures, and that she can offer a solution."

Thel nodded. "I will aid him. But is there a point to your story?"

"Yes." the Kaidon said, finally turning her helmet to him. "You may be hesitant allies now. But prove that his faith and trust in you are well placed, and you will find yourself an ally for life."

Thel stared at her for a brief moment, before returning his gaze to the site below. Then, he turned, and left the Bridge. R'tas would have to manage without him for a while.

Unknown to him, behind her helmet, the Kaidon was smiling.

* * *

John fired a brief burst as he fell, shooting through the tissue, and landed on it. As expected, that particular part had become too weak to support him, and upon his landing collapsed. He fell fifteen meters into another room, landing in a crouch. Immediately, he raised himself, aiming for the hole. Again, there was nothing following him. Hesitantly, he turned his attention to the room he had landed in.

To his surprise, this room was still a bit recognizable. It used to be the High Council Chamber, the room he had been teleported into when he had first entered High-Charity over the second Halo. He could still recognize the banisters lining both sides, as well as the back exits. But the banisters on the left, when one faced where the Prophets used to sit, was broken open, and the Flood had begun tearing through the wall, as well as the ceiling. Multiple limp tentacles hung from the biomass pushing through the ceiling.

He walked a bit around the room, looking for a data pedestal. He remembered, from the first time he was here, that data pedestals had lined each door. And since Cortana was in High-Charity's systems, one of the only ways to contact her was by reaching out to her through the data pedestals.

Finally he found one, near the entrance for whoever wished an audience with the High Council and the Hierarchs. He pressed the activation button, and briefly it sputtered to life. Then, to his disappointment, it sparked, and all power was drained from it. It was of no use to him. He looked around for its twin.

He found it a few meters away, slightly tilted because of a section of wall having fallen against it. He again pressed the button. This one activated, and stayed active.

Wasting no time, he typed a message, using the Covenant Translation Software to see the right symbols. _Cortana? Can you hear me?_

Then, he waited. If Cortana was still in the system, she would react to it. Either she would respond directly with another message, she would activate some of the other systems in the room, or she would show in another way she received.

To his surprise, the symbols changed, becoming the human alphabet. It was followed by the holographic projector changing, showing a distorted figure. After a second, it cleared, and he immediately recognized it as Cortana.

"Chief." she started. "High-Charity, the Prophet's Holy City, is on its way to Earth, with..."

He dropped his head in disappointment. This was just a copy of the message from the Floodship that crashed on Earth. Clearly, she had spread it to every system on every ship the Flood had captured, in the hope at least one would reach him. If the query he sent only triggered that one, then it was unlikely he would get any true reaction at all.

Just as he was about to turn away, the voice changed in tone, and the brightness lowered. He turned back to the projector.

Cortana was sitting now, instead of either standing or hunched over. She had her head lowered, holographic bangs covering her face. Also, as far as he could see, she seemed... more serene, calmer than during those moments. Less panicked, even.

"Chief." she started on a sad, desperate note. "If you find this... I know you are trying to keep your promise."

John returned his full attention to the projector. This was a mere message as well, but one directed at him. Not containing a new threat that's out there, not another moment showing how she hurt under the Gravemind's torture. Just a message to him. No more, no less.

"The Gravemind's... something different. I don't know how to truly explain what it is..."

 _ **A monstrosity.**_ The Gravemind's voice said in his head.

"but it can provide incredible joy, and absolute agony at the same time. Almost like being in your mind, but..."

 _ **Better and Worse, at the same time.**_

John started grabbing his helmet, as the pain increased tremendously. The Gravemind's voice, unfortunately, persisted, resonating in his brain. Still, despite it all, he forced himself to concentrate on Cortana's words.

"look, I don't know what to do. I'm all out of tricks, and inventing new ones on the go to keep him out of that part of me that needs to reach you. But, as hard as it is to admit, my great mind can only come up with so much in so short a time."

The Pain was starting to approach unbearable levels now. He let out a grunt, and couldn't help but slightly tremble at it. Still, he persisted, and continued to listen on. Even if it would hurt him.

"I failed to keep him out of the station's systems. Hell, by the time you get this, he likely _is_ the station's systems. The copying stunt from the Unyielding Hierophant has already failed. I can name over a thousand measures I have taken, and all have failed. And at this point, _I'm_ starting to fail too."

The pain, at those words, started to decrease slightly. Clearly, the Gravemind wanted him to hear this.

"Chief... I'm sorry... but... I'm starting to fall apart here. And at this point, I'm starting to doubt whether... look, I know you are coming for me. But it's a matter of me holding on until you arrive."

 _ **And she's losing her grip.**_

"And I'm losing my grip, Chief. I can't hold on much longer."

 _No! Cortana, hold on!_

 _ **You came too late. And because of that, both of you**_ **will** ** _fail._**

"I'm sorry, but... you're too late. I'm too far gone for true salvation. And without me to guard the solution... both of us will fail."

 _No! I won't fail you. I made a promise. And I will keep it!_

 _ **As I said,**_ **Two** ** _Corpses in_ One _Grave._**

"And soon, maybe a week at most... I will be so far on the path of corruption and rampancy, there won't be a difference between me and the Gravemind."

 _You are not like him. And you never will be._

 _ **Will she?**_

Cortana finally looked up. Her eyes were filled with sorrow, and her face was one of true despair. To his slight horror, her irises were red, showing she was in the first stages of rampancy.

"I'm sorry... but you have to do this on your own..."

 _NO!_

"Goodbye." Cortana finished. Then, her hand went up, like touching a display in front of her. Immediately, the message stopped. The holoprojector shut down, and the pedestal stopped emitting light. Like the last one, it also short-circuited, and he didn't need to be an electrician to know it would take some serious work to get it back online.

In rage, he aimed his rifle at the largest bulk of Flood biomass in the room, and unleashed his entire Assault Rifle clip into it. All the way until all the 60 rounds were fired, and the weapon clicked a dozen times.

In response, only maniacal laughter emerged. Both from further within the Station, and his head.

 _ **Have you learned nothing as you wandered through my tomb? I have no heart, stubborn fool, and so cannot be broken!**_

"Release her." he ordered. "Now!"

again, only the hollow laughter of a million dead voices resonated through the halls and tunnels of High-Charity.

 _ **Or what? You'll shoot me? Look how that worked out. It did nothing but prick a muscle.**_

There was a feral roar coming from further down one of the halls, and another answered from the hole he had entered the room from.

 _ **You, on the other hand, can be broken like a twig. Squashed like a bug. All at my leisure.**_

Then, from every hole in the room imaginable, hundreds of tentacles swarmed him at an amazing speed. Before he could even reach for an ammo clip or a Plasma Rifle, they all had enwrapped him, dozens holding each limb, completely immobilizing him. Then, hundreds more literally poured from the walls, and started to wrap around him. To his shock, it didn't stop. Rather, it started to mummify him. Immediately, he tried to free himself. He tried to move his arm to grab one of the tentacles and rip it loose. He tried to kick out in the hope of hurting one of the tentacles, or maybe even kick it away.

But the grip on him was so tight, he couldn't move at all. He was helpless.

Then, the tentacles reached up to his neck level. As some started to reach up higher to enwrap his head, others started squeezing. As he chocked on his breath, the laughter continued, resounding in his head. Slowly, he started to black out from both a lack of oxygen and that the tentacles had completely mummified him. The last thought he had was a silent scream of defiance.

Then, his head started to clear. And, to his shock, he was free. No tentacles had him trapped. No abominations emerged from the walls. Almost as if the experience from a few moments earlier wasn't real.

 _Was it?_

He checked everything. His armor, despite the intense pressure he had felt, was intact except from the burn mark he had received on his chest plate. His weapons were all present and on the right armor slots. He still had all ammunition for all weapons, including the clip he had supposedly fired into the wall. All grenades he had on him still hung from their bandoleers. No, despite what happened earlier, he still was as fully supplied as possible. For all accounts, what he had just witnessed hadn't happened. Even the holes he had supposedly fired into the wall had disappeared.

The laughter resonated in his head again.

 _ **You wish to face me? Very well. But I fight with more than just my body. Mind. Soul. Memories. All will be used in our fight.**_

He raised his Assault Rifle, aiming it straight at the exit. "Bring it." he said. "I'll take it."

 _ **Last chance, casket of a man. Turn around now. If not, you will**_ **long** ** _for merely being broken._**

"I've had worse." he said. Though, if he thought hard, he couldn't say he actually _had_ fought someone tougher than a telepathic parasite.

 _ **Very well. First, I'll crack the shell. Then I'll crack the nuts inside.**_

He was about to respond, when his comlink crackled.

"Chief? It's Six. Do you read?"

Glad for the fact he could temporarily draw his attention elsewhere but the voice in his head. He answered in relief.

"It's patchy, but I hear you."

"Good." Six sighed in relief. "Your signal's been moving in and out of our range. Only now, you popped up from a three-hour disappearance. Are you alright?"

"Define alright?"

"Alive, no injuries, mentally stable?" Six tried.

"Then you can be scratched away from the alright-list. Because you are mentally _un_ stable."

Six chuckled. "True enough. But in all seriousness, how are you?"

He briefly thought it over, debating whether he would tell her. If he did, he was at least honest with his team members, and she would be ready to get him out of there at a moment's notice. Which would be handy once he had Cortana.

No. he wouldn't tell her the full truth. There was no way he could hide how disturbed he was by the Gravemind's mental assaults, but if he did tell her, she sure as hell would find a Banshee, fly over, find him, and get him out of there herself. In three hours at most. No, a half-truth would do.

For now.

"Could be better."

"How so?"

"No attacks at all. And that's what worries me."

He heard a chuckle from the other end of the com. "Chief, you're in the lair of a massive parasitic lifeform bent on consuming all life in the galaxy. A lair, filled with millions of minions by the way, which is nearly four hundred kilometers long. I would be disturbed if you _weren't_ worried right now."

"Fair enough." he admitted. "Can you transmit any updated maps about where the interference is the thickest? It will also be an indicator of where the corruption has spread the farthest."

"Give me a moment... there, sent."

"Thank you." he updated his map, and a large section of the station was overlaid by the new filter. To his slight dismay, the majority was directly ahead of him.

"You will likely be cut off from here on, Chief. So here's a piece of advice: If you start hearing his voice in your head, and start to falter in your convictions, fall back to one single thought."

"What is that?" he asked.

"Think of all the reasons why you do this. Cortana. Kelly. The rest of Blue team. Halsey. Hell, for all I care, throw the Arbiter into the mix. But think of them, and what would happen if the Gravemind got to them. And fight it."

That actually sounded like advice he could use. He made an actual note of that. In fact, he even decided to make it the objective displayed on the top of his HUD.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Not so much advice as an indicator: the more it roars, the better."

"Why? So I know I pissed it off properly?"

"Yes. It means you are on the right path. Because if you have it pissed, you halt its plans, and you'll know you're getting closer to Cortana."

"Alright. Anything else?"

"Stay away from the Infection forms?" she asked in turn. "Don't follow the light? Don't try and piss off a Spartan? Don't-"

"I get the picture." he chuckled.

"Good luck." Six said.

He marched forward, instilled with renewed confidence.

 _I make my own luck_ He said to himself. Then, with both apprehension of what might lay ahead, and with determination that he would find Cortana, he stepped towards the bulk of Flood Biomass.

Unexpectedly, a circle he'd observed earlier opened up, like a sphincter. He raised his rifle, and stepped inside. He didn't need to listen to know it closed behind him.

* * *

For the next two hours, he traversed the insides of the Lair. As expected, it was every horror imaginable. Faces of humans were visible in quite a few of the walls. Desecrated Brute Corpses lay about, often with a hand clutching the throat of a dead Elite, or the other way around. Separated limbs were scattered around the floor or, more often, literally sticking out of the walls or hanging from the ceiling, covered in blood. The bones and skulls of dead members of the Covenant were littered on the floor, and every few minutes he accidentally stepped on one, crushing it beneath his boot.

And all the while, not a single form approached him.

Oh, they were around, alright. Every few minutes he could hear a feral roar ahead or behind, or could see a cluster of infection forms through a split in the biomass, in a room he couldn't reach. Often, as soon as they saw him, they scurried away and out of view.

Not for a moment did he delude himself they were afraid of him. He knew that not even half of the population of High-Charity, Brute or Elite, had made it off despite the boasting propaganda messages he had heard. The situation had been too chaotic back then, and the window of opportunity too small. And since that population numbered in the millions, if not billions or trillions, he had to fight half of them. And as much as he would like to say otherwise, not even he could take on those odds without a Fleet of ships behind him.

No, they were likely stalking him. Like a predator closing in on its prey.

After those two hours had passed, he finally came across something he recognized again. And immediately he felt a pang of sorrow. It was the crimson Zealot Elite he had encountered in High-Charity, the one who had helped him free Reynolds during the Great Schism. It was impaled on an Honor Guard's staff, with said staff embedded in the floor and the corpse suspended by the ornamentally headpiece. He took a moment to close its eyes in respect for the dead, and tried to move on.

Then, his stomach dropped, and he tried to run. A flood of Tentacles was coming his way, crowding the entire hollow of the biomass tunnel he was traveling through. And from the way it managed to shove everything aside with a excessive show of force, he didn't doubt for a second it was another vision.

He turned around and ran, hoping to outdistance the tentacles, if only for a few moments. Twisting and turning with the hallways, disregarding any bones and severed extremities in his path, he sprinted with all he had in order to stay ahead of the tentacles.

Then, he experienced something. Something he hadn't felt before. Something that made him finally understand why Marines cried out. Why Grunts would throw down weapons and flee. Why Prophets would tremble.

 _Fear. Absolute terror. A way out of the nightmare._

For once fear drove his every movement. Made him direct himself to the point the farthest from the tentacles. He lost track of how long he was running. For him, it felt like hours. Yet, similar experiences with adrenaline told him it was likely merely minutes, if not seconds. But for all he could tell at that moment, he was running across it all for eternity.

 _There!_ A hole in the floor. One that allowed him to evade the tentacles of a moment. He didn't know where it led, and at the moment, he didn't care. He needed to get out of there. With a final sprint, he ran on, before lowering himself to as low as he could, and slid into the hole. He kept his rifle aimed upwards, and yet kept his eyes on the ground. He didn't want to crash onto his back and allow the Flood an opportunity to move in.

He landed on his feet, but with such force he turned it into a roll to absorb it. As soon as he was out of it, he immediately turned to look back up the hole, rifle pointing the way he looked. The tentacles, fortunately, had missed, and were all passing over him. Then, slowly, like with the sphincter-like opening, the hole started to close, until the passageway above wasn't visible anymore. Believing himself safe for the moment, he turned to look around the room he was in.

This was another room not entirely covered in Flood Biomass. In fact, the entire interior was nearly clear of it, and only the entrances into this room were slightly covered in the biomass. By the looks of it, the Separatists had tried to make a stand here, as all entrances were barricaded, and Grunt, Elite and Hunter bodies were strewn around the chamber, all surrounding a large pod in the center of the room. Pods slightly similar in appearance were embedded horizontally in the wall at even intervals, all the way from the floor to the roof of it.

Fortunately, there were also lots of weapons around the chamber, both clutched by the dead and the ones still in ammo crates. He made a mental note to pass this room on his way back out, in case he would run low later on.

He stepped forward, investigating the pod sitting in the center of the room. Upon closer inspection, it was a pod for special Sangheili armor, with the shapes for the various plates still clear in the back of the pod. Something about it seemed familiar, though. He took a better look.

Then he recognized it. The shape of the helmet. He had seen an Elite wear it before. In fact, the one wearing it had insisted upon accompanying him here. With growing suspicion, he moved to examine one of the pods in the wall. He read the writing above it, trusting the Covenant translation Package Cortana had left in the systems would translate it properly.

 _Here lies Fal 'Chavamee, the Arbiter of the 14th Age of Doubt. Perished, for being the first one to doubt the word of the Holy Ones._

Immediately, he picked another random pod, at the other end of the room, and read the writing there as well.

 _Here lies Ripa 'Moramee, the first Arbiter of the 9th Age of Reclamation. Perished at Human hands in an attempt to reclaim a Fleet given to us by the Gods._

He stepped back, not believing his luck.

He was in the Mausoleum of the Arbiters.

As soon as he realized this, the Gravemind's voice returned.

 _ **You desire that I confront you through my minions?**_ It asked mockingly, before falling back into maniacal laughter. Then, without warning, the tentacles observed earlier tore open the roof of the building.

They dropped hundreds of Infection forms, all of which swarmed to either the dead laying around, or the pods in the wall. Immediately, John realized the significant danger he was in.

The Mausoleum was barricaded shut, so he had no exits. And the Gravemind was about to infect dozens of corpses that lay on the floor, not to mention the hundreds of pods in the walls, all filled with corpses of decaying Arbiters.

 _ **Your wish shall be granted.**_

The tentacles above retreated, John saw through the corner of his eye. But he couldn't focus on that. Instead, he focused on all the bodies reanimating in front of him. Soon, a dozen Elite combat forms stood in front of him, and a mass of Flood tissue formed around the Hunters and Grunts, which were put on a pile by the Combat forms, in order to create a larger form.

He put his Assault Rifle on his back, and grabbed his Shotgun. The rifle wouldn't take them down fast enough, and in these confines with so many forms, it warranted the shotgun. He opened fire on the closest form, which was wielding an Energy Sword and thus the immediate threat. Immediately, he turned around, and smacked the stock of his weapon into another Flood form, which had been trying to sneak up on him. It fell back down, and a good stomp from his boot smashed it to bits.

He aimed again at the approaching mass, and opened fire as he went.

Shell after shell dispensed from the weapon, and with each shot, more went down as they started to creep towards him. Yet, for every on ehe shot down, ten more jumped out of the pods in the walls to replace it. Slowly, he started to back himself to the central pod, in order to climb it and have a slight height advantage. Then, the shotgun clicked empty. Hurriedly, he reloaded a shell and fired again, before reloading another one and firing again, repeating the process over and over. He didn't have the time for a full reload, and he needed to keep them back.

In a hurry, he grabbed a frag grenade, and tossed it into the mass of forms. The explosion killed thirteen of them, wounded two dozen more... and bought him some room and time to reload. Immediately, he loaded as many shells into the weapon as he could, managing to load twelve shells. No sooner did he try to reach for number thirteen, one of the forms tried to jump onto him, leaping down from one of the wall pods. Instantly, he shot it, and it fragmented from the force of the blast. Yet, he saw twelve others were readying themselves for a jump as well. On top of that, the forms in the center of the room had started to recover, and three were already sprinting towards him. He needed a way out. He was outnumbered, cornered and trapped. The only way to end it was to leave the area.

He made a run for the pod in the center of the room, using the holographic pedestals as steps to climb it. As soon as he made it to the top, he fired down on the forms that tried to climb it. The Flood, not to be outdone, regrouped a bit, and all forms jumped down from the pods above, landing in the main mass. Then, as one, they all surged forwards towards him. He knew he wouldn't survive a mass like that. No way was he able to take them all out in time. They would swarm him, overwhelm him through sheer numbers, and tear him to pieces. Just like the tentacles had tried to do when he slid into the room through a hole in...

 _the roof._

He looked up. The Flood hadn't tried to restore the roof while he was busy with these Flood forms. Instead, it was ignored completely. Immediately, he jumped down from the central pod, and ran for the wall. There was no stairway to the roof, so the only way to get up there was by climbing the pods on the walls, one by one, until he was out of there.

With a final sprint, he ran towards the nearest pod, and jumped. His momentum carried him forwards, and he pulled his legs up. He managed to land on the pod in one piece. Not wasting any time, he immediately jumped up and grabbed the next one, grabbing hold of the side. He pulled himself up, and climbed onto the pod proper. He pulled out a trio of grenades, and threw them down to the pod he just vacated, as well as the two beside it. As soon as they were throw, he jumped again, and jumped upon another. The grenades went off as he climbed up, and he glanced down. The pods, heavily damaged by the explosions, fell out of their sockets, crushing forms underneath. convinced he wouldn't be followed immediately, he jumped up again, to the next pod.

Just as he was about to jump to the next one, a Combat form landed on his pod, having jumped up from the mass below, which was roaring at him. The form, an old Zealot, immediately grabbed John's Shotgun, trying to wretch it aside. They wrestled with it for a few minutes, with John trying to aim it at the form, and the form trying to throw it away. The roaring below him, however, was becoming louder, and he realized they were starting to climb as well, either on the pods, or on top of each other like a human pyramid. Out of time, he grabbed a Plasma Grenade, primed it and tossed it at the form in front of him. Immediately, he kicked out, and it fell off the pod. Unfortunately, the thing still had a good grip on the shotgun, and it took the weapon down with it, wrenching it from his grip.

He looked up, and continued his climb, just as determined to outdistance the combat forms as he was with the tentacles. He jumped, pulled himself up, and jumped again, endlessly repeating the procedure. He didn't care about how long it took, but he needed to reach the roof. If he fell, or if more than two of the forms caught up with him, he would be as good as dead.

At last he felt an organic edge that slightly gave way in his grip, and he looked up. Above, there was a decaying air filled with Flood Spores. No Flood Biomass roof. No Covenant Architecture. As far as he was concerned, he was in the open. Out of the Mausoleum.

"That's the last time I visit a mausoleum." he swore to himself. He looked around a bit. While he had a lot more freedom of movement, the mass of Combat Forms below was still on his trail, and he needed to move on. To his left, there was another tunnel leading deeper into the structure, leading down the side of the mausoleum. To the right, a Covenant Walkway led further away from the center, back to the uninfected area of High-Charity. He was debating on where to go, when he spotted something on the floor, and picked it up.

It was a Covenant Holodrone, the Arbiter had explained to him. They could attack, and physically interact with the environment, as well as move on their own. The Arbiter had encountered them, when the Covenant Heretic Sesa 'Refumee had taken over a Forerunner gas mine, and the Arbiter had been sent to clear it out. He smirked, as an idea came to mind.

He activated the drone's recording capacities, and had it record a 360˚ image of him. Then, he programmed a few commands into it. When all that was finished, he hid behind an outcropping, and waited for the mass to arrive.

He didn't have to wait long. After a minute, the first of the forms emerged from the edge of the interior of the mausoleum, and looked around. He activated the drone, and it took his shape. Immediately, as 'he' got out of hiding, 'he' ran towards the Covenant ramp, back to the outer shell of the station. The entire horde followed on 'his' heels, trying to catch him. As programmed, the Drone stayed ahead of them, making it appear he was running at amazing speeds, fleeing for the parasite. The Gravemind's combat forms were none the wiser. Al they saw was potential prey. Food to satiate their everlasting hunger.

Once they were out of sight, he got out of cover, for real this time. Quickly, he ran into the tunnel in the other direction. It would only be a matter of time before they caught the Drone, and realized they'd been fooled. And then, they would start to hunt him again.

He made a patting down of himself, checking if he still had everything. Cortana's chip was still securely slotted in the back of his head. Half of his supply of Grenades had been spent. His shotgun had been grabbed back in the Mausoleum, and his Assault Rifle was still on his back. To his dismay, he discovered that both of his Plasma Rifles had been dislodged from their slots on his Thigh plates during the scuffle. Now, all he had was an Assault Rifle.

Normally, he wouldn't be troubled. It was a fine weapon, as long as one knew how to fire it. It might be a bit inaccurate if fired continuously, but he compensated by only firing in small bursts. It was the weapon the UNSC had mass-produced to give to its marines, and was in wide use in human space, both in the official and insurrectionist parts.

But now, it was next to useless. Aside from the infection forms, the Flood forms required a lot of ammunition from the weapon to take down. And he didn't carry enough ammo to make it the entire way. Not if he ran into even a dozen Combat Forms. Or a single Juggernaut.

Still, Cortana was waiting for him. All ways back were either blocked, or crawling with Flood. The only way he had was to continue on. No, he had no other choice.

He stepped further into the tunnel.

He traveled for another half hour, stalking around and avoiding being seen wherever possible. The Combat forms, it seemed, were starting to become active now. Twice, he heard them in the tunnels nearby, growling, searching for him. Three times, he had to perform the indignity of hiding inside a crate in silence, or face group of Juggernauts and Tank forms with a handful of grenades and a few rounds of an Assault Rifle. But, to his dismay, he didn't feel like he was getting closer. Then again, he didn't have any idea if he was being driven further away either. In fact, he had no idea if he was getting closer at all. His map was obsolete in the areas where the Biomass had reshaped the interior of the structure to its own liking. He was going in any direction purely on guesswork.

But he had to.

Did he?

Slowly, his mind started to drift. His movements, without notice, became more sluggish. The more he tried to move on, the more resistance he met in his mind. Slowly, he looked around, looking for enemies, like Comb-... like fo...

what were they called again?

* * *

Thel landed his Pelican near the hole he had spotted during his approach, cursing the Spartan.

The Chief had went into High Charity at one of the docking yards for the Cruisers and Carriers. Thel had initially tried to follow up, and go near the same entrance. But the Flood had caught on to the breach in their perimeter, and Juggernauts and Ranged Forms were crawling around the place. He had been forced to divert to an entirely different part of the station, one that was already spilling over with Flood Biomass.

Thel got out of the cockpit, and checked all the weapons the Kaidon had her people load into it. He smirked again as he looked at the arsenal. A Flamethrower, a Rocket Launcher, A Shotgun, an Assault Rifle, two SMG's, two Plasma Rifles of Sang'Katarn design and manufacture, four Energy Swords, and an unhealthy supply of grenades.

Satisfied he had enough to blast his way through anything, he loaded it all onto his armor. He put the Rocket Launcher on his back, and two of the Energy Swords, including the one he killed Truth with, on his Thighs. One of the bandoleers of various grenades he put around his belt. He put the Plasma Rifles on his lower back, like 'Refumee had done at the mine over Threshold. The rest he loaded in 'duffle bags' he had been given by Human forces for storage.

Satisfied he had enough firepower to stop a small army, he moved outside of the pelican.

Time to find the Master Chief. And he would kill anything that stood in his way until he had reached his comrade.

* * *

He crawled forwards, out of breath. He didn't know what he was doing here, or why he was doing this, but there was only one thing on his mind: getting out of here. The presence didn't allow any other thought. Didn't allow any other thought beyond escape.

The odd voice resonated in his head again, causing the massive headaches.

 _ **Yes. Flee. Run for your life. After all, there is nowhere to hide.**_

To drive the point home, it changed what he saw again. While it wasn't that different from what he was seeing, it truly horrified him. The tissue and the color of the environment remained the same, but the walls moved, until it became one landscape. It was dominated by the monstrosity he always associated with the voice. What was it called? Gorveminb? Geromlend? The name escaped him. But he knew to rightly fear it.

 _ **Nowhere for you to hide. Nowhere to protect anyone you care about. And look at you now, reduced to a lifeless husk.**_

Then, to his shock, the vision changed again, and multiple people appeared in front of him. One was a lady made of blue light, covered in symbols and streaming lines. Four of them were armored like him, two men and two women. A sixth also had armor, but it had subtle differences. Not to mention, she was smaller. There was another blue lady, but instead of lines streaming across her body, she wore a lab-coat and glasses. A black man in his fifties, holding a cigar in his mouth. A tall, unknown alien, with a scar across its right eye. Another similar alien, in steel-colored armor. Numerous soldiers in the same garb as the black man, although one wore a helmet with an odd skull on top as decoration. An elderly woman in her sixties joined them, as well as an older man with a mustache and graying hair.

 _ **You will bring death to all who follow you.**_

Then, the vision changed again, and all the figures in front of him were killed. He tried to stop it, but one by one, just as he reached them, they were killed. The men and women in military garb were changed into minions serving the voice. The aliens were literally cut down, one diagonally, and the other literally from head to crotch, the halves falling in different directions. With this, he felt a new, increasing pain in his head.

The men and women in armor all removed their helmets, revealing their faces. He felt he should recognize them, like he'd known them all his life. But he couldn't summon any memories about them at all.

One was a redheaded woman, who had a long weapon slung across her back. The second woman, the short one with different armor, had brown hair partially covering her face, partially tied back in a ponytail. She was covered in scars, to the point he couldn't make out what was original tissue on her face, and what was scar tissue. One of the men had a large, bulky device slung on his back, and had short-cropped black hair. The second man was very tall, had two large weapons on his back, one with two tubes, the other with six thin long barrels. His hair was also cropped short, and blond in color.

The last one was a woman slightly shorter than him, with light skin, and brown hair tied back in a ponytail. For some reason, he felt she was the one he needed to protect the most. The one he should guard the most, with the help of the blue lady.

The lady in blue and a lab-coat turned to static, before falling down and dissipating. Then, there was an enormous pain in his head. The elderly woman and men decomposed, and literally turned to dust.

The short girl's scar became so numerous, that they covered her entirely, and then she started to blend in with the dead tissue beneath her until she had disappeared entirely. The redhead got a hole in her head, and fell to her knees, before falling onto the ground. The black-haired man received a large cut from something unseen, and started to bleed out. He tried to close the cut on the man, but it was no use. He still bled out. The tall man disappeared in a flash, exploding and sending pieces of his armor everywhere.

The lady in blue with streams going across her body started to get uneven lines, like glass slowly shattering. Out of the lines started to come a white light. Then, she exploded, her body shattering into a thousand fragments. The fragments hit him, and a very intense pain started in his head.

In horror, he turned to the last one remaining, the brunette with white skin. To his horror, her face started to melt, as well as her flesh, until only her skeleton remained. Her jaws uttered a single sentence.

 _Why didn't you save us?_

With horror at what was happening, he started to back away. What the hell was happening?

Then, to his surprise, a second voice resonated in his head. But while the first voice was mostly male, ominous, threatening and malevolent, this was different. This one was of a woman, trying to instill calm. It was friendly, and was more trying to help him, instead of trying to drive him away.

I chose you that day, John, because I believe in you. Because you never gave up.

And to this day, you haven't disappointed me even once.

So don't give up.

You made a Promise. And You always keep those.

Then, he started to remember. He started to drive back the pressure on his mind, and started to recollect. To _reclaim_.

John-117, born John Mattock. Master Chief Petty Officer of the United Nations Space Command Navy. Demon of the Covenant. Reclaimer of the Forerunner legacy.

Leader of Blue Team. Sister to Lieutenant Parisa Mattock, Kelly-087, Linda-058 and B312, also known as Six. Brother to Samuel-034 and Fred-104.

Guardian of Cortana, who he had come to retrieve.

With the epiphany, he started to remember what had happened. The Gravemind had overwhelmed his mind through the link he somehow still had with Cortana despite her absence from his mind. It had nearly destroyed it, robbing him of the memories of all he cared about. He was slowly turned into a mindless zombie, his mind corrupted by the Gravemind.

Then, despite the fact he was still witnessing the nightmare, he noticed he could still see his HUD. Immediately, he started to pull up the hints Six had given him.

 _Think of all the reasons why you do this. Cortana. Kelly. The rest of Blue team. Halsey. Hell, for all I care, throw the Arbiter into the mix. But think of them, and what would happen if the Gravemind got to them. And fight it._

 _The more it roars, the better._

Taking the advice to heart, he started to break apart the nightmare he was in, through sheer force of will. Immediately, he met resistance, in the form of an increase in the pressure on his mind. Still, he continued on.

The vision started to break apart. The dead bodies and their remains disappeared, the infected minions, who had been marines and ODST's he knew, faded away. The floor, once flat despite the features of Flood biomass, became uneven, and actually angled mostly downwards. Then, out of thin air, the walls appeared. He recognized it instantly.

The walls of a High-Charity overrun by the Flood. The real world, not some Flood-induced hallucination.

A feral, mighty roar sounded throughout the structure, and the Gravemind's voice immediately returned. _**NOOO! SUBMIT TO MY INDOMINATABLE WILL! OR PERISH UNDER MY VERY MIGHT!**_

John got up, despite the pain, and turned around, heading back up. If the Gravemind had wanted him to travel back down, then he knew he needed to go up.

"Your will can go to _hell_." he said. "I _will_ get Cortana. I _will_ get out of here. And I _will_ stop you."

 _ **I**_ **cannot** ** _be stopped. I am a timeless Chorus. You cannot stop the song of Infinitude._**

John smirked. The Gravemind was unaware still of what Cortana possessed. If it did know, it would actually gloat about the fact it was aware, and have moved to stop him.

"Watch me." he just said. After that, while the pain remained, there was at least a silence. He looked around again, as he began the journey upwards. He no longer had the Assault Rifle in his hands, and he couldn't feel it on his back as he tried to grab it. Likely, it was lost somewhere during the walk and crawl induced by the Gravemind. That signified he was something that could mean his death in this place.

Aside from a few grenades, unarmed.

He looked down at himself. For once, he was facing odds he never had before. Outnumbered by millions in a station over 300 km long, in the middle of hostile territory. While unarmed.

For once, he understood Six' goading that she liked challenges when they faced impossible odds. He supposed, until he came across a weapons crate or a combat form he could kill with his bare hands, that his fists and feet would have to do for now.

He continued on walking, being as quiet and careful as he could be. Sneaking through the hallways, hiding in service ducts until Combat and Stalker forms hunting him had passed by. None, to his disappointment, carried weapons. Or if they did, they were accompanied by too many others that could take him down before he could reach it. It would have been suicide to try and grab them.

After half an hour of creeping around, he came across another section not entirely taken over by the Flood. It was a large, cavernous room, and it was filled with discarded vehicles. The floor of the cavern teemed with Flood forms, ranging to small infection forms to massive Juggernauts. Stalkers and Ranged Forms crowded the walls, and Tank Forms lumbered along the walls. John looked down on it all from a hole in the roof.

To his surprise, he started to recognize the room. He had passed alongside it when he had tried to reach the Prophet of Truth, and had passed along here on his way to the ship of the Covenant leader.

Along the way, nearby, he had passed along the Inner Sanctum of the Prophets, a long name for their private quarters. That room was the last place he had seen Cortana's holographic avatar. It was as good a place as any in here to look for her.

He followed the hallways nearby, until they became larger, more expansive and decorated. He quickened his pace, for that meant he was getting close to the chamber. Slowly, but surely, he felt himself getting closer to his goal.

After five minutes of jogging, he came to a door. It was covered in far more symbols than any other door he'd seen, and the security on it, were it not damaged by Flood Biomass trying to reshape it for its own design, would have been tougher than any door in the station.

He had made it to the Inner Sanctum.

He kicked at the door, buckling it slightly. Immediately, he grabbed the side, and pulled it down. He stepped into the new hole he had made.

And, to his shock, there she was.

Cortana.

She was in there. Active. Alive.

He had made it.

She was trapped in a pedestal in the middle of the room by an energy shield. To his dismay, her color was faded, along with the light from her avatar, and she was collapsed on the pedestal. As soon as he made a step forwards, she flickered in and out of his vision repeatedly. Like the Cortana moments he had experienced the last few weeks, but instead she was just silent.

He moved over, and punched the shield. It held, but he could see it took a lot of energy to keep the shield up and running. Punched again. Once more, the shield held, but this time, the color changed slightly, like a Covenant energy barrier overloading. He started pummeling it, in order to free here. And again. And again.

Until it broke.

Once it did, every light that had been in the room shorted out, leaving just Cortana herself to illuminate the room.

"You found me." she muttered. He moved closer, and got to his knees before the pedestal, leaning his arms on it.

"But so much of me is wrong." she said weakly, as she looked at him. "Out of place. You might be too late."

He leaned forward slightly. "You know me. When I make a promise..."

Cortana started to look up, and started to brighten slightly.

"You keep it." she finished, before chuckling in amusement. "I _do_ know how to pick them."

beneath his helmet, he smirked. That was the Cortana he knew. If that part of her came up, it wasn't too late. It was still her, as damaged as she was. And Halsey could work on the damaged parts as soon as they were out of here. And as soon as they found the good doctor, of course.

"Lucky me." he said. "Do you still have it?"

Cortana got up, and held up her hand, brightening as she did, all the way until she was as she usually was. In the palm of her hand, a green, T-shaped object appeared.

"The codes of the Activation Index from the first Halo Ring." she said. "A little souvenir I hung on to, just in case." she glanced at the exit from the room. "Got an escape plan?"

He shrugged. "Find a weapon first and foremost."

"And after that?"

"Thought I'd try shooting my way out." he got Cortana's chip out of the back of his head, and held it out in front of her. "Mix things up a little."

Cortana chuckled, and touched the chip. Immediately, she transferred herself to the chip, leaving the station's systems. He immediately put her back in his head, and felt the mercury-cold presence enter his mind.

"Just keep your head down." she started, jokingly exasperated. "There's two of us in here now, remember?"

he chuckled. It was a line she had uttered before, when he had come under fire on the Pillar of Autumn over the first Halo.

"Like usual." he said.

Then, Cortana's voice grew serious. "Chief..."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I felt it. Every time the Gravemind used me to induce those visions onto you."

He grew silent. It wasn't something he wanted to talk about.

"Lets just get out of here, as far away from it as possible."

"And get revenge on the replacement Halo." she finished. He nodded.

"Finishing this fight, once and for all."

he felt Cortana agree with him. He looked around.

To his relief, a weapons crate stood at the back of the room. He moved over, and looked inside. Plasma Rifles were stacked inside it, and he holstered two, before grabbing two more. Then, he moved back to the exit, retracing his steps.

"Hmmm." Cortana said.

"What?" he asked.

"Good advice you've got written into your HUD's objective marker. Who gave it to you?"

"Six." he said. He then remembered something. "She's Kaidon of Sang'Katarn now, by the way."

"Kaidon?" Cortana sounded incredulous. "How did she manage that?"

"From what I understood, challenging Fol's father, the previous Kaidon, to a fight to the death. She defeated him, and by their law, the Sang'Katarnéé follow her now. Even into aiding the UNSC."

Cortana went silent, processing it all. He saw they were getting close to the vehicle hangar again.

"I've been out of the loop for a while, haven't I?" she finally said.

"You could say that. I will fill you in proper once we get out of here, but these are the most shocking facts: Our gambit here with the Separatists paid off, Spark's back at the replacement Halo, and-"

"The Monitor's intact?" she asked. "Johnson or Six haven't fried him?"

"No. And there are three more Monitors with us now."

"Oh, joy." Cortana took on an exasperated tone. "Three more genocidal maniacs to manage."

"Six turned out alright, didn't she?" he quipped. Cortana chuckled.

"Say that again after six month of ruling that planet and her fleets. See if it still applies."

He chuckled in turn, as they returned to the hangar.

"Jackpot." Cortana said. "two o'clock, between the three Juggernauts and the swarm of Infection forms. See it?"

He looked in the direction indicated. He followed the swarm Cortana mentioned, until he also saw the juggernauts. And between them was something that would definitely help them get out of this center.

An intact, and seemingly unoccupied, Protos Scarab tank.

"As I said." he smugly stated. "I make my own luck."

"Nice to see it held out after all this time." Cortana responded. Fortunately for them, the Scarab was nearly below them. Next to them was a ramp, and it led to three levels down, until they were level with the scarab.

"Think you're strong enough to man its systems? I think I will to busy repelling boarders to man her properly."

Cortana huffed indignantly. "Do the Sovereign Colonies rip off potential customers every chance they get? A Scarab's a piece of cake."

"Never doubted you."

"Then why ask?"

"After this long an absence, I'm trying to get used again to your sparkling sense of humor."

"Awww, you missed me." she said.

John looked down. Then, looking between the Scarab and the ramp, he made a decision, and jumped down onto the Scarab.

Immediately, half of the forms looked in the direction of the thud.

"I'm in." Cortana said. "Assuming Remote Control of the Scarab." as soon as she said that, the tank started to move, and he hear roars as forms were crushed beneath its legs.

 _ **Now, at last I see! Her Secret is revealed!**_ The Gravemind shouted in his head, but, to his surprise, it no longer resonated in his head, nor did it cause pain. It was merely as if someone was shouting while just standing close by.

"Thank you." he said.

"The times he can hurt you are over." she assured him. "Now, it's time we hurt _it_." with that, the head of the Scarab came up, and fired at a large mass of Flood Juggernauts in front of them. It fired immediately, incinerating the large forms. They didn't stand a chance against the superheated plasma fired at them, and burned down to cinders.

Again, the Gravemind roared, but it was no longer audible in his head itself. He could see, however, that a large swarm of Combat Forms swarmed into the room. He recognized the damage to some of them, and realized they were the horde he had fought in the mausoleum. In combination to that, the swarm of Flood forms that dominated the room all turned to them.

"Trouble." Cortana warned.

"Targets." He countered, as he opened fire on a Combat Form jumping up to board the combat platform. It died just as it landed, fragmenting.

He noted it had a Fuel-Rod gun on its back, and took it off. Immediately, he checked the ammunition on the body, and was satisfied to take five full clips of rods from it. He turned to the swarm from the mausoleum, and opened fire on it. The horde, too massive to evade it, was blasted to pieces, and the survivors slowed to a halt.

 _ **You were a puppet, a fool!**_ The Gravemind yelled. _**But her... how could I not have known?**_

"Because of your own arrogance, Parasite." Cortana said. "And now, its time to trim it down a bit."

she fired another blast, this time at a group of Tank forms lumbering towards them. John whirled around, as his motion detector went haywire behind him, and he looked to see a group of Stalker Forms landing on the rear of it. Immediately, all started to morph into tank forms. At that moment, he threw his last incendiary grenade at the group, and most caught fire. Immediately, they batted around them in panic, hitting more of their own in the process. Only one successfully made the transformation and it started to lumber towards him. The others all caught a flame, and started to burn down, some falling off in their spasms.

The Tank Form tried to bat at him, but he ducked underneath it. He opened fire on the red area on the chest, where the infection form was sitting inside it. It flinched back as it was hit in the sensitive area, but it didn't go down. It did, however, get closer to the edge of the platform. He got an idea, and kicked it in the infection form area. It reeled back from the blow, and stumbled.

Off the tank.

He didn't stay to look, as three Ranged forms opened fire from the nearby wall. A Plasma Grenade did the job of scattering them, and he let the Plasma Rifles cool down.

Cortana's stomping in the tank had cleared the immediate area around them, crushing all forms underfoot, and she was keeping the nearby area clear with the main gun and the AA guns, which she had gotten online as well.

"Make for the eastern wall." He said. "According to a map from Six, that's the closest area without Biomass."

"How did she come by that map?" Cortana asked.

"The stuff blocks com signals. She merely pointed out those areas, and uploaded them on the map. The eastern part of the station's the closest with clear coms."

"Alright. Adjusting course now." the Scarab turned more to the left.

He turned back to the entrance again, and briefly went inside. As hoped, there were more weapons in the interior of the Scarab. He grabbed a Carbine, replaced the Plasma Rifles with Energy Swords, and went back outside.

With the Carbine, he fired on Ranged forms trying to take him down, while also keeping an eye on the Juggernauts. They were, with their tentacles, the only ones with a true capacity of climbing the scarab.

The Wall in front of them broke apart, and a set of thick tentacles sprang out. Following them was something he really didn't want to face right now.

"The Gravemind." Cortana warned. "It's come to face us in person!"

"I'm flattered." he said, before putting the Carbine on his back and getting out the Energy Swords. "Blast through it with the main gun. I'll keep the Tentacles off us."

"Be careful." Cortana said.

John merely looked on, as Cortana fired the main gun at it. It burned clean through, severing a few tentacles. It roared out in pain, and some of the tentacles withdrew and writhed in pain. To their shock, from the severed tentacles emerged hordes of Infection forms.

In retaliation, others shot out, and twisted themselves around the tank's front legs. Immediately, John leapt forward, and landed on the leg. He slashed away at the Tentacle, severing it. The remains fell off or pulled away, depending on which end one looked at.

Wasting no time, he jumped back on the main platform, and went for the other leg. This time, though, the Gravemind was ready. Before he could jump, three more Tentacles moved in, each trying to swat him off the tank. He slashed away the first one, which flinched and withdrew. The second he cut in two as it passed when he whirled around its attempt to grab him. The third, unfortunately, managed to hit him before he could strike it. He landed on the right of the tank, nearly skidding over the edge.

Then, suddenly, the tank tilted, and he found himself standing upright a meter before the edge. The tank righted again, and he stood upright.

"You're welcome." Cortana said. "Now do me a favor, and sever the other tentacle."

He nodded, and went for it. The last of the tentacles that had moved to oppose him was under attack from one of Cortana's AA guns, which fired on it further away. It retreated as John reached the tentacle grabbing the leg. He slashed away at it immediately, noting in the back of his mind it was the one with the Prophet of Regret embedded in it.

It fell off, and Cortana immediately fired again with the main weapon, having charged it during the time the tank was immobilized. It tore again through the massive Flood form blocking their path, and it roared in pain. It retreated, withdrawing into the wall. Cortana moved the tank forwards, before stopping near the edge of the broken wall. John noted a hallway inside it, and jumped. Promptly, the Gravemind returned, and was onto the Protos Scarab in an instant. It wrecked it until it was nothing but a heap of Scrap metal, but he didn't stay to look. He moved along.

"We need to buy some time." John said. "Are there any reactors nearby? Anything we can do to truly hurt it?"

"The main reactor was the ship Truth used to escape. Scanning for auxiliaries." she paused for a moment, before continuing. "Follow this hallway for three hundred meters, then turn right. Follow the Grav-lift down, and upon exiting turn left. Follow the hallway three hundred meters again, then open the left door."

"Got it." he said, following her directions, blasting Flood along the way.

Before he could step into the grav, Cortana stopped him.

"Wait a moment. This doesn't make sense."

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I've got a _friendly_ contact." she paused. "Who would be crazy enough to come in here?"

John chuckled. "I know someone. Where is it originating from?"

"The next intersection to the right." Cortana said. "Who is it?"

"One of the things you'll catch up on." he warned, before moving on into the corridor, until he got at the intersection. As instructed, he turned right.

The Arbiter was there, fighting off a horde of Combat Forms with a Flamethrower. John moved to join him, opening fire on a Brute Combat Form that started to berserk. The Arbiter briefly looked around in surprise. The look turned into relief, and he returned to opening fire on the Combat Forms.

"Wait." Cortana said amusingly. "You two made _nice_? What _else_ did you do while I was gone?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." he responded. "Update the Arbiter's objective tracker, and inform him of our plan."

"I assume you have one, Spartan?" The Arbiter asked.

"Yes." Cortana answered for him. "We need to buy some time. Blowing one of the auxiliary reactors will start a chain reaction that will destroy High-Charity. I assume you have an escape craft ready for us?"

The Arbiter nodded. "A Pelican landed on a balcony not fife hundred meters from here. Nice to meet you... Cortana."

"A Pleasure." Cortana responded.

With the flamethrower, it took them only a moment to take down the Combat forms. Then, they started to backtrack until they returned to the Gravity lift. They followed the rest of her directions, and sure enough, they came at an Auxiliary Reactor. The reactor, like the vehicle bay, was located in a large, cavernous room. Four pylons hung from the ceiling, with a platform with controls in the middle of them.

"I know these Pylons." the Arbiter started. "The same ones are used on most Capital ships. And I make it a point to know the workings of the ships I command."

"How do we shut them down?" John asked.

"Hit a specific switch on the platform. The inner workings will be lowered. Then, we do what Spartans do best."

"And what's that?" he asked.

The Arbiter turned to him and smirked. "Smashing up Covenant machinery."

"I'm starting to like this guy." Cortana said amusingly.

He shook his head, and stood ready to jump to the pylons. The Arbiter moved to the central platform, and hit the switch he said they needed to pull. Sure enough, the Pylons, which had little ledges attached to them, lowered to below the central platform. He jumped to the closest, and started to slash at it with the Energy Sword he had found. Immediately, after the first hit, it started to fall apart, and the ledge started to give way, along with letting out a whir increasing in volume. It reminded him of the Pulse Generators from the first Halo he had disabled. Quickly, he jumped over to the next one. There, he slashed away as well, and the process that indicated it was failing repeated itself. He jumped back onto the central platform.

The Arbiter had done the same with the third Pylon, and was busy disabling the fourth. The next moment, it started to whir again. Yet, the Arbiter was still not getting off. An explosion sounded behind him, and he whirled around.

The first Pylon had exploded violently, and it, along with the section of the roof it was connected to, was falling down the long shaft below the other pylons and the platform. The pylons adjacent to it, including the one the Arbiter stood on, were all even more damaged, accelerating the process. The Arbiter, realizing this, tried to jump.

The Pylon exploded just as he jumped, blasting him further, all the way to the opposite edge of the platform. The Sangheili dropped his weapon, which skidded to a stop against the console with the switch. The Arbiter himself skidded over the edge, stopping only when he managed to grab a part of the Platform. He started to lose his grip, and was about to fall.

John surged forward, and grabbed the hand that let go last. He immediately pulled him upwards. The Arbiter looked up in slight surprise, but acknowledged with a nod. As they both got onto the platform upright, John handed the Elite his weapon.

"You dropped this." he said. The Arbiter nodded, as he took it. They headed back out.

"Follow me." the Arbiter said. "Along the way, I passed through an Armory, the Control Room, and the area with the human frigate embedded in it."

"I thought you said it was only five hundred meters." John said accusingly.

"That's the physical distance, yes. But the bridge connecting this tower to the one with the Pelican has collapsed, and the detour took me through these places."

"Will we get back out in time?" Cortana asked.

"Yes. I don't recommend stopping for sights, though."

"Then lets get moving." John said. The Arbiter nodded, and they moved on. The Arbiter led them through a maze of hallways, before stopping in a room with a large window.

"This used to be the Armory." the Arbiter said. "The Control Room is at the top. As far as I can detect, it is the only place with an intact elevator, and the Pelican is landed just underneath the frigate.

John started to move on. But then, curiosity got the better of him, and he looked out the window, and down.

The Frigate was just below them, barely a few floors beneath him. He turned to the Arbiter. "You afraid of heights?"

The Arbiter, near the exit, turned to him. "No, I'm not. Why?"

John nodded, and took a few steps backwards, until he stepped out of the window, and started to fall. As he did, he heard the Elite yell for him. Near-instantaneously, he landed on the Frigate. He looked up, at the window.

As expected, the Elite moved to look down at the Spartan. The look on his face, John thought, was truly priceless. The Elite, though, merely sighed in relief and exasperation.

"I swear, you are as crazy as the Kaidon of Sang'Katarn." the Arbiter said.

"Fortunately for us both," Cortana retorted. "I _like_ crazy."

The Arbiter shook its head, and jumped down as well, landing on the ship. They got inside through a hole made in the ship earlier. The interior was, to their surprise, clear. In both the sense that there were no hostiles, and that there was literally no biomass. Like the Gravemind didn't bother terraforming it due to the significance of reshaping High-Charity to its own design. They were both slightly discomforted by it. However, both realized commenting on it had no use and that they couldn't afford to waste the time.

After a short moment, they arrived to the Bridge, which was heavily mangled due to the fact it was the thing that impacted first with the tower. It was also blown open slightly, reconnecting with the tower and the rest of High-Charity. He checked his personal weapons to check which could blow the opening far enough apart that they could fit through. A Fuel-Rod gun, a few Grenades, a Carbine and Energy Swords. That wouldn't cut it.

To his surprise, the Arbiter lowered a duffel bag, and pulled out multiple bandoleers of grenades, and unholstered a Rocket Launcher. He then pointed at the Fuel-Rod gun. Immediately he understood. He got out his own bandoleer and threw it at the breach. The Arbiter did so as well, and aimed his Rocket Launcher. They both fired simultaneously, and the projectiles hit the bandoleers.

The explosion was quite large, and he found himself flung onto his back. The Arbiter was flung back as well, though he impacted with one of the consoles instead of the floor. As he got up and looked, however, he knew Sam would be proud.

The entire front of the Bridge was blown open, and the biomass-filled corridor beyond was visible quite clearly, even though it was blackened by the blast. He grabbed his Fuel-Rod gun, and got through the hole. The Arbiter followed.

"We're close now." the Arbiter said. "I remember this part. Only three turns, and the balcony will be visible."

No sooner did he finish the sentence, than the entire structure started to rumble. The reactor they'd damaged was starting to go critical. John turned to the Arbiter.

"Then we have no time to waste. Drop all unnecessary weight, and just run for it."

the Arbiter nodded in agreement, and dropped the Flamethrower and Rocket Launcher. John himself dropped the Fuel-Rod gun. Then, like at OPERATION: WARM BLANKET, he started to sprint. The Arbiter was close behind, and then ran past him. John decided to follow him to the Pelican.

After three turns, they arrived at the pelican. To their surprise, it was clear of Flood Combat Forms. They got in, and as soon as they arrived at the cockpit, John inserted Cortana. She immediately warmed up the engines. The Pelican slowly lifted off, as the engines took them off the Platform. John got into the seat proper, and flew them away from there. They weren't out of it yet, as the Arbiter had landed pretty far in the exterior.

"Cortana, mark the closest gap to open sky. I can find the way to Halo from there."

after a second, a marker appeared on his HUD. To is dismay, it was the gap that Truth had used to move his Forerunner Keyship out of High-Charity. It was also heavily guarded with Flood forms, and was covered in Biomass mostly. The gap was still large enough for him to fly through, but it was the place the Gravemind would concentrate all its efforts on.

"Strap in." he said, following his own order. "This is going to be rough."

He surged forwards, as he pushed the throttle to full. He flew past former skyscrapers and through holes in formations of biomass. He didn't have time to do it leisurely, and if he was to make haste, he needed to cut a few corners. Even if that included pulling stunts even Six would bring into question.

He finally got a good view of the hole. It was still open, as the Flood had quite a large hole to cover. To his surprise, below it, he could also see the hole that had allowed all the water through he had seen when he entered the station. It was massive, to the point that it nearly touched the hole that he was going for. However, it was nearly entirely submerged in either water or Flood Biomass, and not a good exit. No, the exit for the Forerunner ship was still his best shot.

He sped towards it, as the station started to fall apart around them. Sections of the roof, most also having biomass sticking to it, started to fall down around him, and various smaller explosions were visible at the area they'd just left, although they were starting to increase in proportion.

"As Six advised long ago" Cortana quipped "leave the ship _before_ destroying it, not after."

"Where's the fun in that?" he retorted, as he dodged another piece of debris.

They had to hurry. The explosions, which were starting to spread throughout the inside of the dome, were getting larger, as were the pieces of debris falling down. The hole they were speeding towards, however, was getting closer. And it was also guarded.

"The Gravemind!" Cortana warned. "It's trying to cut off our exit!"

The monstrous entity was indeed sitting in front of the hole, its tentacles swinging to both swat away debris and to discourage him, Cortana and the Arbiter from using it. But any Spartan worthy of the name was hard to discourage, regardless of the enemy. He couldn't go faster, as the throttle was already as far forward as it could go. All he could do was hold course, and hope that the Gravemind had bad aim with the larger tentacles.

"Here goes nothing." he said, as they approached to within two kilometers.

"How encouraging." the Arbiter responded, as John saw him tighten his grip on the straps. They were worthless, as they wouldn't fit around the Arbiter's bulky frame. But he was in no mood to ruin illusions.

"One kilometer." Cortana warned. He tightened his own grip on the steering yokes. The Gravemind turned to them, its massive jaw opened wide.

"Five hundred meters." Cortana said, her voice showing slight distress at how fast they were approaching it.

"We'll make it." he reassured her, though he didn't feel as confident himself. To his dismay, he felt the temperature increase: the fire from the explosions around them was starting to reach the hull. They were nearly out of time.

"I don't think this is going to end well!" Cortana said in a distressed tone. They were almost there. In fact, they were so close that the Gravemind tried to swat at them. He made a slight bank to evade, but not much more. At this speed, even a minor course correction could send them into either a wall or a Gravemind tentacle, ending their flight much sooner than expected.

A loud scraping came from the left- and underside of the hull, and warnings started to go off. Cortana silenced them all instantaneously. John flew the craft forwards. A tentacle swung passed them, coming so close he could see individual faces of former victims. But, fortunately, it missed. After that, no more tentacles came at them, and he started to make out some of the open sky. He sped towards it.

Suddenly, the sky became clear, and around him he could see hill lands as well as a lake. They were outside, over the Ark.

The Arbiter activated the rear cameras, and they went to look, Cortana taking over the controls for him. High-Charity was ablaze. The massive, mushroom-shaped space station had many holes in her superstructure, and numerous bright flashes going across her hull. He didn't need to be an expert to know those were explosions.

Then, suddenly, there was a massive flash that briefly blinded the both of them. When his vision cleared, there was a massive crater below them. The station was nearly entirely missing, with only a slight bottom part still visible, though barely recognizable. Debris flew everywhere, some coming close but none actually hitting them.

He returned to his seat, and resumed taking the Controls.

"That was a close one." the Arbiter muttered, as he also resumed his seat.

"You can say that again." Cortana agreed. "Still, we made it. And that's what matters, right?"

John nodded in silent agreement. He briefly glanced back at the Arbiter. "You came to help me, despite me specifically telling you not to."

The Arbiter tensed, likely nervous John was going to reprimand him. "I did."

"Chi-" Cortana tried to interrupt, but he didn't let her finish, instead shocking them both into silence.

"You make a good teammate."

As expected, both the Arbiter and Cortana were stunned into silence. Smirking, he turned his attention back to flying, which didn't go smoothly anymore. During their escape, the Gravemind had clipped them, disabling their front port thruster and damaging the armor on the underside, compromising the ship's drives. He presumed that, once they landed, the ship wouldn't take off again on her own accord.

After half an hour of careful flying, they finally made it out of the Ark's atmosphere. The replacement Halo was visible above, as well as the Fleet of the Separatist/UNSC/Sang'Katarn forces. They were all slowly flying towards the portal, with the foremost ships even entering already. Only one ship, the Forward Unto Dawn, didn't join the fleet, instead also diverting towards Halo.

"You made it." Six's voice came over their com, relief evident in her voice. "Did you bring the Blue Lady?"

"Affirmative." John responded. "Cortana's still alive, and her Index codes aren't corrupted. We are en-route to Halo now."

"Good to hear." Commander Keyes answered. "We're all aboard, by the way. Humans, Elites, Grunts, Hunters and Engineers."

"Will you not come with us, Brother?" the Half-jaw pleaded.

"No." the Arbiter answered. "This is our fight. And I _will_ see it finished."

"Spark, is the Halo ready for our arrival?" John asked.

"Affirmative, Reclaimer." Spark answered. "The surface is clear of all hostiles of any kind, and the route to the Control Room is clear."

"Good. I don't want to fight if I can help it. At least at this final stage."

"I will see to the defenses, reclaimer. Although that will mean there are less to aid in the construction sites."

"I don't mind, Spark. Just get it done."

"Certainly."

"Johnson, do you have the Frigate?" Cortana asked.

A Screen changed, showing the sergeant in question. His face was still swollen from the beating he took from Truth's bodyguards, and he had a black eye. But he stood upright without a problem. In the background, two Spec-Ops Elites were visible. John recognized them as the ones he and the Arbiter had fought alongside many times before: N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham.

"Yes, Ma'am." Johnson responded as soon as he appeared. "We'll land her as close to the Control Room as we can."

"Safe is better than close, Sergeant Major." Cortana warned. "The Flood might be weakened with the loss of its hive, but it won't sit still with a Halo above their heads."

"Roger that. And Ma'am? It's good to have you back."

Cortana flashed a smile. "It's good to _be_ back, Johnson. Be advised: Our bird took a hit, and we have a clipped engine. A premature landing might be necessary, and you will likely arrive at the Control Room before us."

"I'll take that in mind. Safe landing." the screen shut down again.

They were coming up on the inner surface of Halo. To John's surprise, many of the sections weren't covered by land masses yet, and the inner steelworks and platforms and hollows where the earth would come were still visible.

Another alarm went off, indicating the engines were shutting down due to a loss of power. John maneuvered the Pelican so that it would glide on for a few more kilometers. In the end, they came close to the Control Room. Or as close as they could get on a damaged pelican with heavy occupants. In the end, they started to go down in a snowy area, about ten kilometers away from the Control Room.

As they got out, John restocked on weapons, putting a Rocket Launcher on his Back, a Shotgun next to it, and new bandoleers of grenades around his waist. He saw the Arbiter pick up lighter weapons: a Carbine, two Plasma Rifles and two Energy Swords, along with another bandoleer of grenades.

"Halo." Cortana observed. "It's so new, unfinished." she paused, as they got out, into the snowy canyon before them. "I'm not exactly sure what will happen when we fire it."

John grabbed clips for his Assault Rifle as well, as the Arbiter tossed him one. "We'll head for the Portal on the Dawn." he answered, as he raised it, using it as his main weapon for now.

"And we'll all go home."

* * *

 **One more Chapter. Two more Epilogues. And then, the true extent of my AU will be revealed.**

 **Shall we finish this fight?**

 **As usual, Reviews are welcome.**

 **Gharst Omenlumin**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, fellow Legion followers. I indulge you with the last official Chapter of Halo 3: the Ark (Excluding the Epilogues). Now, this is the last chapter following the official storyline. From here on, you can assume _nothing_. Didact? No one knows? the threat of he guardians? No one knows? A Rampant Cortana? No one knows? **

**except me.**

 **Now, here are the usual request for reviews, and disclaimer that I own nothing.**

 **To guest account identified as Trev: Thanks. I try to please whenever I can with my writing, and it's nice to hear it's appreciated.**

 **To guest account identified as Cryasor: Now why would you do that? (Looks innocently)**

 **Now, lets show these Flood Maggots you don't mess with the Legion!**

* * *

Halo 3: The Ark

Chapter 5

* * *

Thel helped pull the Spartan onto the cliffside they had been climbing. They had been climbing and tracking for half an hour, making their way to the top of the cliff. The crash, while survivable, had resulted in them ending up kilometers from the Control Room... and in the middle of a canyon range enduring a snow storm.

"How close are we, Cortana?" Thel asked, as they resumed their march to the Control Room, keeping his hand in front of his eyes to avoid getting snow in them. While they were closer now, it was still not in visible range yet.

"Only one kilometer and two hundred meters. But the weather seems like it's getting worse." Cortana answered.

"What possessed Spark to make a Snow Storm on an unfinished Halo?" the Spartan asked. "I can barely see the barrel of my rifle."

"I can't reach him." Cortana said. "Ask him when we arrive. But for now, keep moving."

Begrudgingly, they continued their march through the blizzard. The weather was, indeed, very hostile. But Thel would survive this, even in armor as downgraded as the Arbiter's. The Spartan even had armor that enclosed his entire body, and had no need to cover his eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity of stepping through thick snow, something gave way under the Spartans feet. Before Thel knew it, the ground collapsed beneath the both of them, and the Elite found himself sliding through an ice tunnel. He fought to keep his feet ahead of him and his back beneath him, so he could aim his rifle at where he was going. After all, there was no telling what defenses the Monitor might have put up.

Twice, he heard loud thunks, as he saw the Spartan smash into ice formations. But instead of impaling himself on the sharp ice spikes, the human's armor broke it all, shattering it and sending it in every direction.

Thel rolled out of the way of one such spike. While his armor was tough, it was in no way as endurable as a Spartan's, and he wouldn't survive being impaled.

After a minute of sliding, the ground evened out beneath them, and they came to a stop. The Spartan got up first, aiming ahead of them and covering them as they moved.

"Well, that's one way to get down." Cortana quipped. "Though I imagine this isn't the tourist-friendly route."

"You think so?" the Spartan asked. "What gave it away?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it was the fact we almost got impaled on Ice formations that did it."

the Arbiter just ignored it, and stepped ahead. He soon found out the reason the ground had evened out.

The surface they stood on transcended from unsteady Ice to even metal. Before him stood a large pillar, with a column of light at the center which went upwards into the roof.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Phase Pulse Generator." the Spartan answered. "One of Three, all necessary to fire Halo."

"They're all located in proximity to the Control Room." the AI added. "We must be getting close. Come on."

Getting the hint, the two of them got moving, entering a doorway on the other end of the generator. After a series of turns through narrowing hallways, they got back outside.

Inside a canyon shielded from the storm, with the Control Spire dominating the back of it.

And, landing on the snow field in front of them, Flood forms.

"Did you think me defeated?!" one of them yelled at him, with the voice of the Gravemind.

"Flood Dispersal Pods." Cortana warned them.

"They must have followed us from Halo." the Spartan said. No sooner than he did, a Phantom crashed on the top of the spire.

Streaming from the wreck came a dozen Combat Forms.

"We have no time to waste." Thel said, as he marched ahead to fight the Flood forms. The Spartan joined him in his attack. They fired on the closest one charging them, a former Brute Chieftain. It went down under their combined fire, and the pieces fell apart.

The Spartan charged forwards, firing his Assault Rifle at the mass in front of him. Thel threw a grenade to clear the crowd a bit. The forms caught in the blast went aflame, as the incendiary spread flames across half a dozen of them. The instinctive and panicked reactions from them all ensured the fire spread to a dozen more.

"This is Johnson." the man said over their com. "Me and the two bozos with me will cover you during your climb. From your perspective, the ramp starts on the right side."

"Thanks." the Spartan said. "Cortana, make a waypoint for that ramp."

after a moment, the Spartan changed directions, and he headed to the right side of the tower. Thel followed close behind, covering the Spartan's rear. He reloaded, as the last form took quite some ammo from his Carbine. After doing so, however, he spotted something he knew he could use.

One of the Flood forms previously killed had dropped a Flamethrower. He picked up, and aimed it at a mass following them. He smiled as he let loose with the Flamethrower. The swarm stopped, as Thel spread the Flame across their path, forming an improvised barrier. It would only last as long as the flames did, but it was better than nothing. He took the heavy thing, and followed the Spartan up the ramp.

He was surprised that a Juggernaut landed in front of him. It had leapt over the Flames, and was now trying to take him out. He opened up with the Flamethrower, forcing it back. It tried to swipe out at him with a tentacle, but he jumped over it. Just as it was about to try again, it was hit by a thick red laser, which went straight through it and hit a second form which had passed the barrier.

"Keep moving, Arbiter." Johnson said. "I've got your back." to empathize his point, a second laser pierced the Juggernaut as it tried to get back to its feet, knocking it back down again. Thel followed the soldier's advise and sped past it, catching up to the Spartan. He was stuck behind a barrier, a swarm of Ranged forms standing in the way. Thel aided him by unleashing more flames on them. They either caught flame and died within seconds, or scattered in fear, morphing into Stalker Forms in moments and jumping to other levels.

"They're coming from all sides." N'tho warned over the com.  
"Then watch our six." Thel answered. "Our progress is slow but steady. But the Gravemind won't be lax forever." Indeed, no sooner did the words leave his mouth than the stalkers all returned, along with two times their number. All morphed into Tank forms.

Thel fired his Flamethrower on the group again, this time on the center of the group. The others near the outer edge of the group charged them, trying to trample them under their feet. The Spartan fired a few rounds with his Shotgun at the frontmost, before letting loose with a Frag grenade. The blast only killed three of them, but it had the desired effect: the herd stopped in its tracks, either wounded, disoriented or running into their fellow Flood forms.

Weapons fire started to rain down on the forms from above, and Thel looked up. N'tho and Usze, holding a Minigun and a Plasma Repeater, respectively, were giving them covering fire, scattering the tank forms. Some of them turned into Stalkers, jumped to walls or the same level as the Elites, and morphed into Ranged forms, firing on them. The rest of the Tank forms headed for them. Thel, deciding to favor speed over firepower, and dropped the Flamethrower. He got out his Carbine, and ran past the Tank forms to the next ramp. The Spartan, who had picked up a Sentinel's beam weapon somewhere, followed close behind.

The rest of the way up was just as harrowing: Every time they arrived at a level, they would encounter either a group of smaller forms or a pair of Juggernauts blocking their path. Johnson and the Elites would again open fire on them, distracting or scattering them and allowing Thel and the Spartan to go on to the next level.

After ten minutes, a climb that should have only lasted one, they arrived at the top.

"Spark? You in there?" Johnson called as soon as he saw them. "Open the damn door."

"Of course, Reclaimer." Spark responded. "Just as soon as you dispose of all proximate Flood forms. I'm afraid containment protocols do not allow for-"

"Yeah, yeah. We hear you." Johnson called. "Just be ready to open it when we do."

Thel headed for the center of the platform at the top of the spire, where Johnson, 'Sraom and 'Taham had made an improvised clearing, with multiple barriers and ammo crates with weapons covering the main area. The Spartan arrived as well, and picked up a Rocket Launcher. He immediately fired it at the front of the spire, seemingly at nothing. Just as Thel was about to question him why, a Juggernaut jumped up, and landed near them.

Right in the path of the rocket. The thing stumbled as it was hit, and tripped over the edge of the platform. It tumbled down, landing on a protruding piece of Forerunner architecture, on which it impaled itself. It didn't kill it, but it kept it from advancing onwards.

Thel fired on a cluster of five more forms, which were coming down from a ridge above and to their right. The ridge went up into the mountain, just below the Blizzard they had evaded. He suspected that was how Johnson, N'tho and Usze had entered the valley, as a doorway into the interior of the ring was at the end of it. The forms themselves, three Brute Combat forms and two former Human ODST's, were killed within seconds. Thel turned around, looking for a new target.

There wasn't one. The others had all taken care of them.

"Open up, Spark." Johnson called. "Coast is clear."

"Not for long." Cortana interjected, as the doors slowly eased open. "I'm tracking additional dispersal pods. They'll be hitting any minute."

"Then head inside, all of you." the Spartan ordered. "Spark, as soon as we step through, close the doors on them."

"Of course, Reclaimer. Thank you, for considering the Containment protocols in your plans. If the doors were to be left open-"

"You're welcome." the Spartan interrupted before the Monitor could drone on. As one group, they all stepped inside.

* * *

343 Guilty Spark was at peace, as he oversaw the completion of the superstructure of his ring. Certain sections were still missing their plating, and the area around the Cartographer Island wasn't even finished yet. As such, Tragic Solitude had it temporarily moved closer to the Control Room, both for protection and for better access by Constructor drones. Still, he was happy, as he looked at the schematics updated nanoseconds ago. At this rate, if things went as well as hoped, the Ring would be ready to fire in a few days, instead of the weeks he'd feared it would take.

He looked down, as he heard the door to the central Chamber ease open. Briefly, he charged his Focus Laser. He powered it down in relief, however, when he saw it were only the Reclaimers and their Sangheili allies. Humming a tune he'd picked up from the Databanks of the now-destroyed Pillar of Autumn, he lowered down to their level, alongside the smaller Reclaimer holding a large, rectangular weapon, as he strode for the control panel.  
"Oh, Hello." he said. "Wonderful news. Installation 04B is almost complete."

"Terrific." the smaller Reclaimer known as Johnson answered, in a tone indicating disinterest.

"Yes. Isn't it?" He responded, unsure of why the Reclaimer answered in such a tone. Surely, he would be interested in hearing the status of the ring, right? After all, it was his only hope of saving not only his own race, but every other one in the universe as well.

Yet, as he had a brief glance at the Reclaimer, he knew he wasn't 'scientist', as his Species referred to the Builders of their kin. He decided to drop the details, and immediately went to a shortened summary of the ring's status. "I have begun my simulations. No promises, but this Ring _should_ be ready to fire in just a few more days."

The Sergeant, impatient, whirled to look at him. "We don't _have_ a few more days. The Flood are knocking at our doorstep, and it needs to be fired _now_!"

Spark actually sputtered in shock and alarm. "Bu- Bu- But a premature firing will destroy the Ark!"

"Deal with it." Johnson retorted dismissively.

Spark looked down in contemplation. The Ark, back when the array had fired, had a host of samples of species for reseeding the galaxy, and while most were sent out, not all had actually left the Ark. If the Ark was destroyed, all of them would perish. Not to mention the failsafe the Forerunners had installed should one of the rings unexpectedly shut down.

Not to mention, in the unstable and unfinished state it was in, the Ring wouldn't survive the Firing. The Pulse Generators and all other systems in Halo would overload, the superstructure wouldn't hold. The ring would fall apart.

"Will destroy this installation." he quietly muttered to himself.

No, if either the Ark or the Ring were to survive, the firing would have to be delayed.

Even if it had to be at the cost of the current Reclaimers that would fire it. Slowly, so the others wouldn't notice, he readied his Focus Laser.

Before he could fire, however, one of the Elites called out. It was the blue one, holding a Human heavy-repeating weapon with three barrels, one that was so heavy he wasn't so much carrying it as he was carrying it along.

"Monitor. Think about it." the Elite paused, composing his words. However, the 343th Monitor still paid his undivided attention to it.

"We do not have the firepower to hold the entire facility for the few days you need." the Elite continued. "Your Sentinels might, but if you send them to aid us, the timeline for the construction will draw out even longer: Weeks, if not Months. And not one of us has enough firepower to hold it that long. Not even the Enforcers have the firepower needed to hold it that long. And once we are all dead, where will your Ring be?"

"In the hands of the Flood." he finished for himself. He looked down, his Protocols heavily conflicting. If he fired the Array now, he would be responsible for its destruction. But through negligence, that would also be the case if he delayed the firing. If he delayed it, the Sangheili and Reclaimers would be vanquished, as would the Sentinels, and the Ring would fall in the hands of the flood. And that was a fate far worse than destruction. He acknowledged that much.

But he was unsure whether he could allow any of the others to fire it.

"No!" a Voice surprised them all, and Spark, as well as the others, whirled around to the new voice. Through a Sentinel's access hatch, the Monitor of the Ark, 000 Tragic Solitude, emerged, his eye lighting up with a golden color.

"I will not allow this." He rambled hysterically. "If you fire, you will destroy the Ark, and all sensitive Data and samples stored in her archives. I can't let you do this."

The Sergeant stepped away a bit from the console, charging up his Laser. "Like we'd give you a choice, lightbulb."

The other Monitor retaliated by summoning over two dozen Sentinels through the Teleportation Grid. "No, Reclaimer. _I_ will not give _you_ a choice."

Then, while Guilty Spark contemplated his choice, a battle commenced in the Control Room. The Elites with Plasma Weapons fired away at the Sentinels, while the Spartan dropped a Shield Bubble to provide them cover. The Human Sergeant tried to take down the Rogue Monitor with his very powerful Laser, but the 'lightbulb' was too fast, too evasive, to score a hit. And no other weapon they had was capable of cracking the casing of the Monitor. The Elite in Blue tried to help by pinning it down with the weapons fire from his Human weapon. But it might as well have been a flyswatter against the thing: It had no effect, and Tragic Solitude kept moving too fast.

Then, Spark knew he had to act fast, or have the choice made for him. The Reclaimers and their allies were outnumbered, and would soon be cut down with the superb coordination of a Monitor. Unless he made a choice.

Let the Reclaimers destroy Halo. Or let it fall under the Flood's sway due to the tamperings of Tragic Solitude.

Viewed in that light, it wasn't a difficult choice at all.

He powered up his Focus Beam. And fired.

At Tragic Solitude, as the Rogue Monitor tried to hide behind a panel on the central platform. The Monitor groaned in pain, as his casing was pierced, and some of the inner circuits were damaged. In shock, it turned to its attacker. Its voice chips were damaged, and the Monitor's central eye was partially burned away, partially melted and partially cracked. It let out a single grunted word, filled with stuttering and static.

"Wh- whyyyyyy?"

"Simple." Guilty Spark answered, as the Reclaimers and Sangheili turned to the Monitors in surprise as well. As he continued to talk, he discreetly did two things. One: he sent a message to Cortana, for her to order the smaller Reclaimer to fire his Laser at the Rogue Monitor now. And Two: he ordered the servers that controlled the Sentinels to focus entirely on Flood targets, and to ignore Reclaimers and Sangheili. And to destroy the Rampant Monitor.

"If we withhold firing Halo, it will fall to the Flood, regardless of our actions." Spark turned his Optic red, to indicate he was about to fire. "And I would rather let the entire Array be destroyed rather than letting it fall under control of the Flood."

Then, as expected, the Reclaimer holding the Laser fired on the distracted Monitor. The Sentinels all turned away from the Organics, and turned to the Monitor, firing their beams as well. Spark chose that moment to fire as well. Tragic Solitude, already damaged by Guilty Spark's earlier blast, didn't stand a chance. From the combined fire, his chassis started to melt, and he started to overload. It tried to let out a cry, but it exploded before it had a chance, the frame fragmenting into a million pieces.

The Sentinels, after that, all headed either through the large door, or through the Sentinel hatches, in both cases choosing to find the most direct route to Flood forces. 343 Guilty Spark turned back to his Blue color, and hovered towards the others.

The Elites, as well as the Sergeant all looked at him in surprise and suspicion. The Spartan, however, strode towards him, and nodded. "Thank you."

The Monitor tilted himself. "You're welcome." The Monitor rose again, and started to drift away. "Do what you need to do. But I don't want to witness this."

"Ironic." Came the voice of Cortana across his com channel. "We are _finally_ doing what you wanted, and you don't even stay to see it."

Recognizing it as humor, he chuckled for their sake. "Yes. Ironic."

He moved into the corridor, and looked away from the control room. After a few moments, he felt the Ring start to shake, as the central Energy Beam was activated. Immediately, he received status reports that the superstructure got under increased pressure from the forces activated, and that it would soon collapse.

The Flood felt this too, and increased their efforts to break through the doors. Spark hacked into one of the security cameras, and was quite surprised: There were three Juggernauts in the hallways, and the first door was already breached. Only the door Spark hovered in front of now stood between them and the Parasite.

The Reclaimers came running towards him, and their Sangheili allies were not far behind. Spark turned to them. "Be informed: Three Juggernauts are just behind the door."

The Spartan nodded. "Open it anyway. It's our only way out."

Spark sent the signal, as he floated over to the group. Slowly, the doors slid open. They didn't open completely, as the Juggernauts had bent the doors, making it impossible to led it slide into its housing. But it opened far enough for the Juggernauts to be visible.

And far enough for the group to open fire on them as they passed through.

The Spartan had taken the lead, followed by the steel-colored Sangheili known as the Arbiter. The smaller Reclaimer was in the middle, and the last two Elites covered their rear. Guilty Spark hovered to aid the two covering the rear, unbalancing a Juggernaut by firing at its leg. It crashed into its partners, clearing their way for now.

The rest of the hallways were still clear, as the rest of the Flood hadn't made its way this far yet. The Sentinels also were doing a great job of holding back the horde, blasting away at any form larger than an infection form, and letting falling debris do the rest.

"As soon as we get outside, go up the ridge on the right." the smaller Reclaimer called out. "It's how we got here when we landed the Dawn."

The Spartan nodded, and as he turned right, immediately went right, climbing a snow hill up a ledge. Spark assigned a small contingent of Sentinels to cover him and the others as they climbed. The others followed the Spartan as soon as the augmented Reclaimer made it up.

The Flood Combat forms became more persistent, and sent more and more members to stop them. Spark fired on them all, determined to have the Reclaimers survive.

As soon as the last one climbed up, he hovered upwards as well, following them. The Spartan was already close to a door that led to the interior of the Ring. To the second Pulse Generator, to be precise.

He hovered to catch up. They had no time to waste.

* * *

John heaved a bit, as he ran. He didn't stop to fight every combat form, for if he did, he would still be here by the time it would be fired. And he had no intention to be here when it did.

As he finally made it outside, he couldn't help but smile at what he saw.

Two Warthogs, each close by the entrance.

"Behold: the Batmobile and one other wreck." Johnson said mockingly, as he caught up. "AKA, our modes of transportation."

"They'll do." the Red Elite answered. They all put their guns on their backs, and got into the vehicles. The Red and Blue Elite paired up on one Warthog, getting into the Driver's seat and passenger's seat, respectively. John went for the driver's seat on the other one. As the Arbiter moved for the Turret, Johnson stopped him.

"Nuh-uh. My car, my seat."

The Arbiter looked confused. "But I have-"

"Just give in." John called. "Johnson's obsessive about having the turret. Besides, it's better for weight distribution if you take the passenger's seat."

With silent protest by waving them away, he moved to the passenger's seat. The Sergeant, happy to have the turret, immediately got in. The other two Elites, as soon as they were in their seats, sped away. John started driving as well, and the Monitor sped past, over the hills, likely going directly for the Dawn.

"The Dawn is close." Cortana said. "We _can_ make it, as long as the ground doesn't fall out underneath us."

"But you better hurry, Reclaimers." the Monitor said. "The Charging sequence is too much for the ring to take at this moment. I don't know how long you'll have until the structure collapses beneath you."

The Chief got the message, and made the Warthog go faster. As he sped on, he left the snowy ravine, and, to his surprise, saw the sky clear as well. Previously, it had been covered in clouds of snow from the Blizzard. But it seemed to only cover the area around the Control Room and the Pulse Generators. The area beyond, still under construction from the looks of it, had clear sky. So clear, in fact, that he could see the Ark above him.

He swerved around, as an explosion made a few floor panels in front of him shoot upwards. He avoided them, as well as the debris from the panels. The other Warthog was still ahead of them, and was lucky to avoid the panels themselves.

The Spartan raced on, determined to reach the Dawn. The area was crumbling down to the ground around them. Platforms which he assumed were supports for larger areas were falling apart, toppling like trees on top of Combat forms which were trying to reach safety.

At last, after a five minute harrowing track, during which he nearly lost his life more times than he cared to count, the Dawn finally came within sight. Unfortunately, one of the support platforms toppled, crashing down on the pad and demolishing all the panels, cutting off their path. The Warthog containing N'tho and S'raom stopped, as that was likely the path they had taken.

Then, John had a better look at the rock in front of them. He recognized it, for some reason. But where ha-

"The Cartographer Island." Cortana supplied. "This is the Cartographer Island."

An idea formed in his mind, and he raised the Monitor. "Spark, the panelling around the Cartographer Island. Is it in place everywhere?"

"Yes, Reclaimer." the Monitor answered. "Why?"

That was all he needed to hear. The Frigate was docked with the island, on the area in front of it. And now, he knew that the island's panels were complete, he knew he could drive around the island, and he would be able to reach the Dawn.

He drove on, to the surprise of Johnson and the Arbiter, to the other side of the rock in front of them. The other car started to follow. To his dismay, however, the disintegration started to catch up, and the panels behind them started to collapse. The ones beneath them, in fact, were shaking, making it feel like he was driving off-road instead of on a straight metal platform.

The road around the island was also straight, and he didn't have trouble navigating it. Soon, after the next corner, he could see the Dawn again, as well as a ramp leading into the Hangar bay. The immediate panels connected to the Dawn had collapsed, but the rest was still upright. It would only take a short jump to get in.

"Gun it, Chief!" Cortana said encouragingly. "Jump! Floor it, Right into the Hangar!"

he floored it, and the Warthog sped down the ramp. At the last second, likely due to the Monitor's acting, the last two panels angled upwards, so they had a jump when they got at the end. He sped on, not daring to look back.

After a few moments, his wheels lost contact with the panels, and he was flying through the air. The next moment, he landed in the Hangar of the dawn. But they came in too fast, and the Warthog toppled over, spilling out her occupants. The other Warthog crashed in a similar manner, miraculously missing the ones already spilled out over the Hangar deck.

The Master Chief got up first, and ran over to a console, inserting Cortana into the ship's systems.

"Hang on." she said, as the engines immediately fired up. The ship surged forwards, heading for the Portal as the hangar doors closed. Johnson and the Elites immediately ran for the bridge, through a door Spark opened for them. John moved to the console, and slid down beside it, leaning against it. He inserted Cortana's chip back into his helmet.

"If we don't make it..." she started, in a solemn tone.

"We'll make it." he promised her, as he leaned back against the console.

"...It's been an honor serving with you... John." she finished.

The last thing he saw before he was knocked out by the surge of power, from entering the portal, was a flash of white.

* * *

 _Memorial, Ruins of Voi, Kenya, East-Africa, Earth._

 _November 18, 2553_

 _one year after the Battle of the Ark_

Nearly everyone, Human, Elite, Grunt and Huragok, took off their headwear, in respect for what the human on the stage was about to say. After all, this was a memorial for all the fallen; something that should be honored no matter what.

"For us, the Storm has passed." Fleet Admiral Hood started. "The war is over."

 _At what cost?_ Fol wondered, as he looked over at his companion. Six, one of few who hadn't taken off their helmet, was staring straight ahead. He thought back on what had happened.

The Dawn, despite everyone's hopes, hadn't made it through the portal, even after it closed. That meant she was cut off from them, and still in the effective radius of the replacement Halo. The Master Chief and the Arbiter were, therefor, dead.

To say that was a heavy blow was an understatement. The Master Chief and the Arbiter were the faces of both the UNSC and the Covenant Separatists, respectively. The Master Chief had been believed by many, human and Covenant member alike, to be invincible. And the Arbiter, who many still knew as Supreme Commander and Fleetmaster Thel Vadam, was a strategic and tactical mastermind, and had orchestrated many of the Covenant's victories. Hood, 'Vadum and many others could always claim they were the face of the UNSC or Separatists, but in the public eye, everyone knew those would always be the Master Chief and the Arbiter.

It hadn't been believed at first. They had waited many months, even after the Portal had closed somewhere in mid-march, bare hours after the last ship came through. Even then, many had held on to the hope that the Master Chief would find his own way back.

That had stopped, when he had been declared Killed In Action two days ago by the Office of Naval Intelligence. They claimed they needed to keep a realistic view on this, and stop depending on miracles to happen. Something most of the UNSC disagreed with. But no one was willing to challenge ONI. Not on this.

To Fol, Six seemed particularly devastated. While she showed no outward sign that it affected her, he knew better. She was very quiet these days, no longer insulting him, or taunting him with the fact he never managed to beat her. Instead, she was withdrawn. Silent unless spoken to.

He could understand. The Master Chief was the only one as skilled as her, and one of the most feared warriors in the galaxy. He had also observed that, during their time on the first Halo and on the Gettysburg, Six and the rest of the Spartan-II's had formed a bond not dissimilar to one shared by brothers and sisters.

But now, those Spartan-II's were very few. Grey Team had returned from terrorizing Doisac, the Brute homeworld. Black Team, while not in Earth Space, accounted for at another Forerunner installation. And the seven Spartans that had helped destroy Installation 06 alongside Ooskoo Rotam and T'kan G'han had, according to rumor, moved to Sang'Katarn to live their lives in relative peace, along with the crew of the human ship that had also been there. The Midsummernight, he believed the ship was called. Besides that, while a lot of the II's were still missing, everyone assumed they were all dead.

Including Blue Team, who were also confirmed KIA. Fol suspected this was also part of the reason Six was this quiet. They were the majority of other people she interacted with. Sure, there were him, Wilson, Stacker and others. But the ones she had been closest to had all been on Onyx at the time.

He could still see it fresh in his memory, like it was only yesterday, despite the fact it had happened only three weeks after they'd exited the Portal. Hood, who knew Six and Fol were close to them, had wanted to show them something, taking them to a planet called Onyx, something he'd learned himself only a few weeks before. He had informed them that he had sent them there, in order to aid Doctor Halsey.

They had arrived at an Asteroid belt, and they both immediately knew Blue Team was gone. Sure, he and Void had triple-checked the supplied coordinates, but it hadn't mattered. They had to face reality.

Onyx, with Blue Team, was gone.

Six had taken the blow very hard. He remembered that she had repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists, and shuffled her feet in disbelief and denial. Fol, recognizing she could have a breakdown in this emotional state, had recommended they head back to Earth, something Hood agreed with.

Now, months after the event, it had hit home, and she had grown quiet and serious, instead of the cheerful murderous maniac he knew. To his surprise, as soon as they had returned, Six had seceded from her position as Kaidon, stating she was a war-hero, and that they were approaching peace-time, and that a new guard had to take over. She had convened with the Council on Sang'Katarn, and they all, albeit reluctantly, agreed that Ooskoo Rotam was to be the new Kaidon.

There were others who had been considered as replacements: Kronos, the massive Brute War-Chieftain. T'kan Ghan, AKA the Raptor, for his charisma and being an inspiring and leading figure. Kal and Nera Katarn, both of whom were still considered royalty despite their own insistence they weren't. Also, briefly, the three San'Shyuum that had defected to Sang'Katarn early in the war, the Prophets of Peace, Knowledge and Wisdom, were suggested.

In the end, all of them had been cast aside as choices. Making Kronos or one of the Prophets Kaidon, especially right after the war with the Prophets and Brutes had ended, would at best be frowned upon, at worst met with an outright new declaration of war due to the hate of the species. Kal and Nera had both expressed they were fine where they were in their leaderships positions of the Army and Fleet of Sang'Katarn respectively, and T'kan had outright refused to take the post, saying he belonged on a ship or a battlefield, not a throne.

Fol himself had been asked as well. In fact, Six asked him first before any of the others. But he didn't belong on a Throne as much as T'kan did. Besides, he no longer felt truly at home on his planet of birth. His time spent among the Spartans and other humans had disassociated him from his own kind, and while he would always visit and think of it comfortably, he felt his place was now elsewhere.

Namely, alongside the Spartan known by many as Noble Six. And he had a feeling she wouldn't settle down or start a new life just yet.

"But let us never forget" Hood continued "those who journeyed into the howling dark, and did not return."

Fol briefly glanced to his right. Six, for once, had taken to cleaning her armor for the occasion. It was restored back to the default version she wore on Reach, without the damage and scratches it had back then. Also, she wore the Pauldron of her teammate, Emile. Like the others she started ahead, at Hood.

To Six' right, to Fol's slight puzzlement, sat Commander Keyes in her Hover-Chair. Her encounter with Truth, and the wounds she had received as a result, had left a hole in the middle of her spine, making her paralyzed below the waist. Fol had funded the therapy and other medical needs necessary to make her walk again, and special nano-chips were being constructed to fill the place of the nerves lost, while a special metal vertebrae was also being forged. But for now, neither was ready for human use yet, and Keyes still would need the hover chair.

He noted Keyes held a medal and a picture of an older man in her hand. He recognized the man as Captain Keyes, the captain of the ship that had found the first Halo Ring, Installation 04. She must be remembering him dying in the war, one of the very first human victims of the Flood.

"For their sacrifice required courage beyond measure." Hood said. "Sacrifice, and unshakable conviction that their fight... _our_ fight... was elsewhere."

most beings briefly looked among the crowd, likely to gauge the reaction of someone they knew.

"As we start to rebuild" Hood ignored the looks people gave each other. "This hillside will remain barren. A memorial for heroes fallen on both sides. Human, Elite, Grunt, Hunter, Engineer... all will be remembered for the lives they saved with their sacrifice. Each of them ennobled all of us, and they shall not be forgotten."

Hood put his cap back on his head, and soon, all others, including Fol, had followed with their own headwear.

A squad of Marines, led by Stacker formed up for a three-shot volley. Mirroring them, an equal number of Elites did the same. Both sides raised their rifles.

"Present Arms!" Stacker called. As one, the Marines and Humans raised their rifles at the sky, and fired three shots in honor of the fallen. After that, they put their rifles away, and started to disperse. The crowd soon slowly trickled away as well.

Fol did so as well, determined to find Six.

* * *

 _1 hour later, Reception party of Voi Memorial._

Hood stepped over to the memorial, observing it. In honor of those lost on the Ark, their pictures, including one of Captain Jacob Keyes, had been pinned to it. Behind him, he heard a grunt.

"Never took you to be one for speeches, Terrence." a man said behind him. Hood did his best to suppress a chuckle, not willing to give his one-time friend and most-time nemesis the satisfaction.

"Comes with the job, Spencer." he answered, as the man came up to stand beside him.

General Spencer Mahad stood beside Hood, also observing the memorial. After a minute of silence between the two men, Mahad broke it first.

"It's nice, what you built here for those men and women who fought. Almost makes me regret I didn't play a bigger part in the war."

Hood snorted. "No offense, but your ships are glorified Cargo Haulers and Tugs, not suited for the fight against the Covenant." before Mahad could indignantly object, Hood turned to the man and held his hand up, silencing any protest. "For the sake of the fallen honored here, I'll make a confession: You're better at Trade, Mining and Medical Research, I'm better at Warfare and Colonization. It's as simple as that."

Mahad, after a moment of contemplation, begrudgingly nodded. "Guess so." Mahad extended his hand.

"I have to go back. Colonies to run and all." Hood shook the man's hand. The Sovereign Colonies leader walked away to depart, but stopped in front of the stairs.

"For the first and last time, I'm glad I came to your help, Terrence. As much of a use as it was, it was nice to call you comrade once again."

Hood, without turning, nodded. "I can say I feel the same way. Goodbye."

Mahad nodded, and stepped away, disappearing into the crowd of other people at the memorial. Hood stayed to continue observing the monument.

His thoughts drifted to the Master Chief, and the other Spartans. He admitted to himself (and insisted out loud to anyone who thought otherwise) that it was thanks to them that they had mostly won the war. Not Hood, Stanford or one of the other Admirals, not the Fleets of ships the UNSC produced, although all had certainly played a large part. But without the Spartans, no matter what he or others would have done, the war would have been lost, and the human race would have been exterminated.

To his surprise, he found himself thinking of navy ensign Marcus Graves, one he had considered taking in among his crew. Graves had shown potential, and had similar testing scores to Admiral Cole, who was believed missing in action. Just like Graves. Hood didn't know why he thought of Graves, as he didn't know much about the man beyond his potential, and he had been missing for decades. It wasn't as if Graves was somehow connected to the Spartans.

Thuds sounded behind him, and he glanced around. The Half-Jaw Elite Shipmaster, R'tas 'Vadum, was walking up to him, his boots thudding on the podium due to his weight. No one else noticed, though, so he paid it no mind.

R'tas stopped alongside Hood, but he stared into the expanse and over the remains of the Portal, which were visible in the background, instead of at the memorial.

"I remember how this war started." Hood said. "What your kind did to mine. I can't forgive you."

He paused, before extending his hand. "But... you have my thanks. For standing by us in the end."

R'tas briefly glanced at the hand, before shaking it. The grip was crushing, and it encompassed his entire hand, but Hood didn't complain or show the slightest wince of pain. It was the thought that counted after all.

"Hard to believe they're dead." he added. R'tas nodded in agreement. They let go, and Hood stared at the Memorial once again.

"Were it so easy." R'tas commented.

"What will you do now?" Hood asked, curious about what the Elite would do. After all, with the Arbiter's death, the Shipmaster was effectively the leader of the Covenant Separatists.

"Return home to Sanghelios, and continue restore order. After all, the Great Schism has left our planet in chaos, and not all will agree with the new peace treaty."

Hood nodded. "And then?"

"I... do not know. The Arbiter left a data package detailing how to handle the situation in the event of his death, but I haven't had a chance to look through it properly yet. Once Sanghelios and her colonies are at peace, maybe I will."

"At least Penitent Tangent will be coming with you." Hood said. "Given how some of your people still view the Forerunners, having one of their creations voice his approval of you should go a long way to establishing peace."

"Indeed." R'tas said. "While it would be more helpful if Contrite Vestige went as well, I understand his desire to return to Sang'Katarn."

"Should you need help," Hood offered "feel free to call upon me for help. And I'm sure Sang'Katarn won't refuse the request either."

R'tas shook his head. "A kind offer. But this is something I must do on my own. I must prove in the eyes of my people we can do things without the help of others, in order to make ourselves self-sufficient again. Calling in help now would prove I am wrong."

"I understand. Still, the offers stands, should you need it."

R'tas nodded. "Thank you. In return, unless I am in conflict myself, I extend the same offer to you."

Hood turned in surprise. This was more than he had originally expected from the Shipmaster.

"Thank you."

The Shipmaster nodded, and then left. Hood chuckled to himself. The Elites were, if anything, direct. They said what needed to be said, and then left. No niceties or long speeches about it. They just said it, and left once it was said.

Hood wished humans were as direct.

He sighed, as he left to rejoin the crowd, 'making his presence known', as Parangosky referred to it. It wasn't that he liked doing so. But, being the man in charge of the UNSC, he had to.

* * *

 _Pelegostos Bar, Voi, Kenya, East-Africa, Earth._

Wilson grabbed his daughter's hand a little tighter in grief, as he walked into the bar.

It was no place for a 12-year old girl, and especially with leftover radiation from the Plasma Bombardments enacted nearby to stop the Flood when it came here. But he was in desperate need for a drink, and he couldn't find a sitter for his daughter. Not because he didn't trust her at home alone, but frankly, because they didn't _have_ a home. It was in New Mombasa, which was destroyed a month ago.

Lena, the kind young woman he raised her as, opened the door for him into the booth they'd hired. As the waiter approached them for their drinks, they ordered and sat down. He went with the local beer, while Lena satisfied herself with a Coca Cola and Ice Tea.

To their surprise, after the waiter left, two men approached and sat down. Richard briefly went for his knife hidden in his sleeve, but relaxed when he saw it were only Pete Stacker and Chips Dubbo. Both already had drinks of their own in hand, and put them down on the table.

All of them, his daughter included, looked morose. Over the last few weeks of the war, they had all worked closely with soldiers that had died on the Ark, and had even made friends with the Master Chief himself. Or at least close acquaintances. To hear openly from Admiral Hood himself that the man was dead was... _upsetting_ , to say the least.

Not to mention Sergeant Johnson. Wilson went way back with the man, all the way to boot camp. He, Johnson, and Mendez had kicked all kinds of insurrectionist and alien butts over the last thirty years. Not to mention that they always had one hell of a time together. Of course, not one of them openly mentioned their... involvement in the Orion Program, but Stacker and Dubbo needn't know that.

"Not the kind of place I'd bring my girl to." Dubbo quipped, as a way to break the silence.

"Hey, what can I say?" Lena joked back. "Like you old guys, I'm an early starter."

the four of them shared a short laugh, before lapsing into silence again.

It was only broken a few minutes later, when the door opened again. Paranoid as they were in unknown territory, all of them grabbed a weapon. Richard was proud to note even Lena did so, raising her glass in case she needed to throw it, all the while keeping her drink inside in case it was nothing.

As it turned out to be. Only Lieutenant Mattock and Sergeant Banks entered, the former holding two drinks while the latter, as often joked about by the others, carried a small bowl of chocolate chip cookies.

The two jokingly held their hands up in the air. "If I knew this was a shooting range, I would have brought a turkey."

the four first arrivals chuckled, as they put their weapons away. Lena, not having met the man and woman before, kept a skeptical look, but put her glass down as well. The two of them sat down, and Banks gave away some of the cookies, before putting the bowl on the table.

"Lieutenant." the elder Wilson greeted. "Not that you're not welcome, but what are you doing among us common folk? Don't the officers have their own lounge or something?"

Mattock let out a short chuckle. "First: I'm off duty, so drop the Lieutenant-shit. Same as the Ma'am shit. Second: I never identified myself as an officer, only as a soldier doing whats right. And third: that Lounge got blown up during the Glassing of the other parts of Voi."

"If we can't call you Ma'am..." Dubbo started uncertainly. "Then what _do_ we call you?"

the Woman turned to him with a sad smile. "Name's Parisa. Thought you knew that."

Lena just sat in the corner, drinking her Ice Tea and Coke in turns, listening carefully. Just as Richard had instructed. While he wasn't a full-time member of Graves' movement, it didn't hurt to keep an eye out.

To their surprise, the door opened again, and a woman stepped through. And Wilson was even more surprised this time. This was the last woman he was expecting to see.

"Mind if I drop in, fellah's?" Sarah McGregor, the so-called Freighter Pilot and fellow survivor from the Fall of Reach, asked as she stepped in. She was holding a large crate of beer, which made the marines and ODST smile. "I'll pay if necessary."

Lena smiled, and made a bit of space next to her on the booth's couch. The two had always hit off well. When possible, Sarah had always been Lena's babysitter while Richard was on the front lines, and they had a close bond. Not to mention, though the girl didn't know this, Sarah was actually her biological mother. And Richard her actual father, though she still saw him as one regardless of blood lineage.

It was a bit sad, really. They had gotten the girl after little more than a fling after a successful operation for Admiral Graves, but they both couldn't stand to be apart from her. But, seeing as Sarah was an Insurrectionist, and Lena was raised in the UNSC due to Sarah's many missions there, they didn't want to traumatize her if she ever found out about Sarah's exploits. Hence, the cover story they'd both made up: Lena's real mother and father had died of radiation poisoning when she was very young, and Wilson had stepped in to take care of her, with Sarah often visiting to fill a motherly role.

"Not at all." Mattock answered as she made room on the table for the additional bottles. "But out of curiosity: Where did you get the beer?"

Sarah smiled in turn. "I'm a freight Pilot, and as Bonuses for multiple early deliveries, I sometimes get to keep 'excessive' orders. Be it a crate of beer or a new engine part."

Dubbo whistled. "If you get that kind of bonus, it makes me wish I'd gone into piloting instead of ass-kicking."

Banks waved it away. "People from Australia and New Zealand are weaklings anyway." he mocked. Dubbo and Wilson, being from Australia and New Zealand respectively, glared at the man. Mattock, however, expertly defused the situation.

"Says the man from Saxon."

Everyone laughed at that. Saxon was a colony world populated mostly by Scottish people, and even though Banks lacked the chalk-white skin color and accent, they were familiar enough with the man by now to get to pester him about it.

Mattock sighed, as she grabbed a new bottle, even though her old one wasn't empty yet. Stacker frowned. "Eager to find a lucky coin on the bottom of the bottle?" he asked.

Mattock shook her head. "No. Just contemplating something."

"Mind sharing it?" Dubbo said. "We could help out."

Mattock had a dubious look in her eyes, like she was contemplating it but unsure whether she would. In the end, she just shook her head.

"Aw, what the hell. What have I got to lose?" she said, before getting out her Chatter. She brought up a news article, a recent headline, and showed it to them. Banks read it out loud.

" _Origins Revealed: ONI announces future publication of Spartan Records._ Doesn't sound that dramatic to me."

Mattock shook her head, and highlighted a certain section. They all read it, and some took on confused looks. Lena, who was sitting too far away to read it comfortably, read it out loud as she squinted at the words.

" _According to rumors, the Spartans were all children who were reportedly killed by genetic-related diseases between 2516 and 2518._ "

Mattock nodded. "I lost my twin during that time. He fits the criteria."

Everyone immediately grew quiet, processing the news. That meant that Mattock could potentially be the sister of a Spartan. But also that ONI had lied and kidnapped children and covered it up. Richard doubted the others knew the truth. Only he and Sarah did, and that was because her adoptive father, Marcus, had told him that bit himself. The others would likely dismiss it as a conspiracy theory.

But he knew better. Ol' Admiral Graves, whom he had never met face-to-face or seen a photo of, had released certain sections of the Spartan Files he possessed to loyal R.I.F personnel within UNSC ranks. He hadn't read it all, but from what he'd seen, it wasn't pretty. Child abduction, human experimentation, failing Clones... it once again reminded him that being an informant for Sarah, and therefor Graves, was the right call.

"Now you see my dilemma." Mattock said, interrupting his thoughts. "I accepted his death, and moved beyond it years ago. I'm worried it'll just reopen old wounds for no reason."

"Give it a go." Sarah immediately said. "I lost my biological father during the Sephoran Uprisings, and I would give anything to see him again. Don't you want the same with your brother?"

The other woman nodded silently. "Yeah. But what if it turned out he died during the war? What if I even came across him?"

"So what?" Banks retorted. "At least you'll know. And if it turns out he's alive and well, you can go visit him. Or if you can't handle it, let someone else look first, and tell you which it is."

Mattock, letting a single tear roll, nodded.

"Yeah. That would be a good idea."

Stacker grabbed a cookie, and took up his bottle of beer. "well, to get on to better news: It's nearly a year since the death of Arby 'n the Chief."

Dubbo frowned at his comrade in arms. "Really? 'Arby 'n the Chief'? You couldn't come up with something better?"

Mattock, glad for the change of topic, chuckled. " _You_ come up with something better. I'm sure Johnson would've given you a mouthful for even trying."

There was more laughter. Dubbo smirked. "Yeah. So who will kick my ass now? Huh?"

A small hand rose. "I will." Lena said.

The others laughed goodheartedly. Then, Banks rose his glass, and everyone followed suit.

"To the Master Chief." Banks said.

"To the Arbiter." Mattock said, as she put her glass to his.

"To the legend: Sergeant Johnson." Dubbo added, raising his own glass.

"To Poor Reynolds. Ending up as Flood bait isn't a good thing." Stacker put out sadly.

"To ol' Cap'n Keyes." Wilson said. "May the Flood form rest in pieces."

"To Profit." Sarah jokingly said. "And our friends Locklear, Polaski and Haverson, who never made it."

Lena raised her own glass. "To lost parents and relatives. May they rest in peace, now that we rule the world."

They all toasted before taking a sip of their drinks.

* * *

 _3 days later_

Fol sighed, as he walked up to the memorial. As the message had said, Six was there, standing in front of it and admiring it. To his surprise, she was sheathing her Knife. He walked over to the monument, stopping beside his friend.

He smiled inwardly. He had been surprised when he had long ago discovered he considered the Spartan a friend. But they knew each other for so long now, and had such very good contact, they couldn't be anything else.

He saw Six had a few series of numbers into the memorial, some of which he recognized. The most prominent was the number 117, which had the rank bar for the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer pinned next to it. A homage to the Master Chief then.

Other numbers were 034, 087, 058, 104, B170, 052, A239, A259 and B320. He surmised the latter three were Spartan-III's that she had known. Likely members of Noble Team.

Before he could ask, his Motion Sensor went off, and he turned around. An older man in his early fifties was approaching them, holding a briefcase. He wore an ordinary suit in a faded grey, had brown hair and eyes, and had a weary air around him. He was accompanied by a taller woman in a form-fitting bodysuit, along with a few pieces of armor. She had her helmet off, showing a few facial scars (though not as many as Six had when she had shown her face on Sang'Katarn), also brown hair, and in contrast to the man, had a lively air around her, though she was subdued in respect for the monument. As the man continued to walk onto the podium, she remained at the edge of the stairs, turning her back to guard the trio.

Six turned around as well, and approached the man. To Fol's surprise, she extended her hand, and the man shook it.

"I'm sorry about the rest of Noble Team." the Man said. "They were all good men and women. They will be missed."

"It's alright, sir." Six said. "Jun's still alive, and our objectives were achieved. It's what they would have wanted."

The man nodded, before turning to Fol. "Mind to introduce us?"

Six nodded, gesturing at Fol. "This is Fol Katarn, former Field-Marshal of Sang'Katarn. And the one that hunted us on Reach. And currently my partner."

She then gestured at the man. "This is Brigadier General Urban Holland, Noble Team's former supervisor while he was still a Colonel. And a good friend."

Fol extended his hand. "A pleasure meeting you, General. It's not often I meet other human survivors from Reach."

Holland chuckled. "I was just a colonel at the time. The only reason I made it at all was because the CEO of Trident Industries owed me a favor, and we both hitched a ride on a Frigate." Holland frowned. "You are the same Zealot who took down Visegrad Relay?" Fol nodded.

Holland chuckled. "I expected you to be more hostile or imposing."

Fol let out a chuckle of his own. "Six here helped me mellow."

"I'm sure." Holland said. He returned his gaze to Six, handing her the Briefcase. "This was all I could find, along with a list of unsupported rumors you three could follow."

Six took it, and had a brief look inside. She closed it again, and turned to the General. "How did you get this?"

"Lets just say that over the debacle at the SWORD Base demolition, quite a few people at ONI owed me a few favors." he paused, briefly glancing at his female companion down below. "Enough favors that I could free up Rosenda. She wanted in on this."

Six glanced over to her as well. "She won't cause trouble with Fol?"

"No. In fact, she became excited once I told he was in on this. I'm not sure if she's aware of... _who_ he killed, though. She and Emile were close friends."

"I'll keep it in mind." Six said. "Call her over."

Holland merely let out a short whistle, and the woman walked up onto the podium, stopping beside hood. The woman saluted. "Ma'am, Rosenda-A344 reporting for duty."

Holland smiled. "I'll keep an ear out for any rumors about the... subjects you're looking for."

"Thank you, sir." Six answered. "Take care."

"You too." Holland returned. And with that, he walked off, moving back to the car he came in.

Six turned to the woman in partial armor. "You know why you're here?"

the woman nodded. "Of course. I'm here to assist you with your hunt, and provide back up and transportation wherever necessary."

"You realize this isn't the stuff you usually do? That usually at these kind of missions, they rotate Emile _away_ , so he doesn't get out of hand? That sometimes we have to hurt people in order to get answers?"

The woman smirked. "You forget the part that this is where they rotate me _into_ the Team, Ma'am. I'm ready."

"Good." Six said. Both women turned to Fol. "Fol, meet Rosenda, A Spartan-III and Emile's replacement on Noble Team, should we go on counter-insurgency operations. Rosenda, meet Fol Katarn, the Field-Marshal I mentioned."

Fol nodded. "Heard about you. Escaped the massacre at Reach because you were assigned to routing out an Insurrectionist base near Chi Rho."

Rosenda smiled and made a mock bow. "Indeed. And let me guess: you're here for tech support."

"No." Six said. "He's here for intel on Covenant worlds. Our targets aren't limited to humans."

Rosenda looked at her in surprise. "Oh?"

"In fact, the first one we encountered was an Elite, though we suspect they aren't limited to just Elites and humans. Our AI, Zeus, provides Tech support."

Fol looked at Six, confused. "Void isn't coming?"

Six shook her head. "Void took a massive software update a few weeks ago. He's so different he took on a new name: Zeus."

Fol looked up in realization. "Ah."

Rosenda then took a look at the Briefcase. "And who, specifically, are we hunting?"

"Yeah." Fol added. "You neglected to inform us about that."

In response, Six tossed Fol the briefcase. He caught it in the air, and opened it. Inside lay a file. He handed it to Rosenda, as he didn't need to open and read the file. The title on the folder was enough.

Cerberus.

"You're going AWOL to go after them." he said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. Six nodded. "When Reghok Katarn, Sang'Katarn's Kaidon, died, he mentioned he was unit 2.3.8. That means there are at least 237 others out there, and likely even more." Six paused. "You don't have to come."

Fol shook his head. "I know. But I stuck with you this long. Why quit now?"

Rosenda closed the folder and put it back in the briefcase. "Sounds fun." she said cheerily. "When do we start?"

Six tilted her head, and made her way to Fol's Warthog. Fol and Rosenda followed.

"We just did." she called back to them, as she got into the driver's seat.

* * *

 _Unknown Space_

"Chief. Can you hear me?" Cortana called.

John shook his head, as he drifted and exited the Hangar bay. "I'm here."

"Thank God." Cortana said, as her avatar appeared on one of the screens in the hallway he was in. Ahead of him, an unconscious Johnson drifted as well. The bruise on the Sergeant's head showed he'd just hit his head too hard, and was in no mortal danger. He started to make his way towards the man.

"What happened?" John asked, as he grabbed his Assault Rifle, which was drifting in front of him. He put it on his back, and got a hold of the wall.

"I'm not sure. When Halo fired, it shook itself to pieces. Did a number on the Ark. The Portal couldn't sustain itself. And we were passing through just as it collapsed."

"Status of the rest? Our location, the ship and the others?" he demanded, as he reached Johnson. He took the man under one arm, and started following the signs pointed to the Cryobay.

"The others are alright, although dispersed throughout the ship. The Arbiter's at the Bridge. The two Elite buddies are on their way to Cryo as well. Spark's already there, constructing Cryo pods that fit the Elites. Our location's unknown at the moment." Cortana paused with a sigh. "The Reactor was damaged by the sudden collapse of the Portal. It can only put out enough to power some of the systems. Slipspace drive's fried, as well as our thrusters. Weapons are online, but they're useless without a target."

John sighed. In short, they were alive, but stranded in the middle of nowhere. He shook his head, as he entered the bay. Spark briefly looked up, before firing his repair beam at a pod of Forerunner architecture, modifying the inner systems. Two identical pods stood behind it, already finished. All looked large enough to accommodate the Elites.

"But you did it." The Arbiter said, as he and the other Elites floated into the bay. John put Johnson in one of the Cryopods, which closed and activated at Cortana's command.

"Truth and the Covenant... the Flood..."

"It's finished." John said. Indeed, the Flood had been exterminated at Delta Halo, and the Ark was the last location with Flood. With Halo's firing, they had been wiped out.

The fight, indeed, was finished.

Spark finished firing his beam at the last pod, and hovered aside. The Elites all got into their pod, and Spark closed them manually. John got into his own pod, pausing to put the Assault Rifle in a weapons rack.

"I'll drop a beacon, but it will be a while before anyone finds us." Cortana said. "Years, if not decades."

John closed his pod, lowering the lid a bit before laying down. Cortana closed it the rest of the way for him.

"I'll miss you." she commented.

"Wake me" he answered. "when you need me."

Cortana smiled at him, and beneath his helmet he smiled back.

It was the last thing he saw as he went into Cryosleep.

* * *

Cortana sighed. The ship's occupants were all asleep. She was now the sole presence on the ship. Their lives depended on her now.

Well, her and the Monitor.

"At last." the Monitor said. "The Flood has been stopped. To the best of our knowledge at least."

"Yes." Cortana said, showing her avatar for his benefit. "Now, all that's left to do is wait. And hope someone finds us."

Spark briefly glanced down, before turning to her. "Not all." he said. She turned to him in surprise. "What?"

"There is one thing, though it has no effect on our predicament. However, it will fill the time until we are found."

"And what is that?" Cortana asked, as she frowned at him.

"Simple: We talk. I tell you about everything about the Forerunners, which is quite an extensive amount of information, and you tell me about humanity's history throughout the years. Trusting the amounts of information we both possess, this will be quite time-consuming."

She smiled. That was actually a good idea. And it was better than doing nothing. After all, if she did nothing, it would bring to the surface the only thing she'd hidden from John so far.

The fact that, despite him rescuing her, she was driven close to Rampancy by the Gravemind's torture during her stay on High-Charity. And that it had never receded since.

"Alright, monitor." Cortana said. "Lets talk."

* * *

 **Here it is. Now, read. speculate. and review.**

 **A minor question before logging off. I am planning two stories: One's a spin-off, explaining what happened on Installation 06, which was hinted at in Halo 2: Great Schism and Halo First Strike (My versions anyway). The other's a sequel to this, explain what happened to the Chief, Blue Team, and the rest of the galaxy following the end of the war. I'll do both eventually, but which do you guys want first?**

 **Until next contact.**

 **Gharst Omenlumin**


	6. Epilogue 1: Now you will fall

**Now, prepare for devastation. Not of material things, but of the status quo.**

 **ONI shall fall. And Graves' war starts**

 **now.**

* * *

Halo 3: The Ark

Epilogue 1: Now you will fall.

* * *

Location: Angel City Outskirts, R.I.F. Capital world of Troy.

Date: 14-11-2553.

* * *

Graves looked at his Datapad, as his spy in the crowd observed Hood's speech about the fallen in the war, both from the Human side and the Separatist side. He had to admit: as much as he hated ONI right now, especially with what they had done to the Spartans, without either they wouldn't have lasted a month in the war, much less actually won it. It was no reason to stop his crusade, but he had to admit he respected them for that.

He looked up from the video, as Mac arrived, along with the third man for their side of the meeting. He and Mac had received a message from an old ally of their, back from the two weeks when they were still in the UNSC Navy. He had offered them a solution to a problem they'd been having concerning intelligence, and they were in no hurry to turn down the offer of help, despite Mac's misgivings about the man.

The problem the man referred to was, of course, that they still had no good intelligence network. Sure, Blisk and Castilla were doing an excellent job so far, and Hammond's business contacts were bringing up quite a lot of information concerning the finances of the UEG and the UNSC. But they had no way of actually infiltrating ONI, getting actual military data, or identifying potential new recruits or targets to eliminate. The man offered assistance with that.

As security, all of them had agreed to come armed, and while Graves felt certain very little people on this colony would even consider harming him, it never hurt to be careful. Which was why, upon Allison's assistance, he wore four pistols on hidden locations, two combat knives in his sleeves, two in his boots and two more plainly visible. No point being careless. It felt odd, carrying so many weapons. But it might be necessary.

Mac was similarly well armed, as was the man next to him, Colonel Miles Quaritch.

Miles Quaritch was Gallagher's second-in-command, and a tough man to boot. He had originally fought in the UNSC as an ODST, but got kicked out after only a year for, quoted from ONI files, aggressive behavior and attempts to gain access to restricted files. Graves had picked the man up shortly after Cole's emergence, and had quickly learned that, while the man was indeed a tough fighter, he was also a sound tactician and fighter to boot. And, during peace time, the man was actually quite nice, if on the brunt side.

And the attempt to gain access to restricted files? Only an attempt to learn the fate of his brother, who had gone missing on an ONI mission three weeks prior to him being kicked out. Graves, upon recruiting him, had done the man a favor, and had Spyglass and Athena track the man down. The fate didn't turn out to be favorable: the man was supposed to be tracking down an ONI agent who'd been 'corrupted', but killed when the woman found him instead. Ilsa Zane, the ex-agent in question, still eluded them all to this day.

Still, Quaritch didn't bother tracking her down, knowing it was a wasted effort. Instead, he dedicated himself to the destruction of ONI, for sending his brother to his death while knowing the man was out of his league.

Like Blisk, the man has served as a mercenary for a time, but Gallagher, his former superior, had managed to sway him to Graves' cause. Those times had left their marks, in the form of three claw marks cut across the right side and back of his head, with the scars prominently visible no matter how much make up someone wanted to use to hide it.

But, contrary to what their remote location suggests, they weren't here to hide.

Quaritch looked around, as he surveyed the meeting point, a construction site abandoned due to geological instability. Anything larger than a truck could cause an ancient cave system below them to collapse, trapping all nearby in an avalanche. Something that happened during the reign of the previous Council not two kilometers from here.

"Nice spot for an ambush." Quaritch noted. "In the open, little cover and hazardous terrain guaranteeing there won't be a quick escape."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." MacAllen said. They all looked ahead, as they heard a rumble. As it got closer, Graves could make out what it was: a cluster of Covenant vehicles. They weren't uncommon on the planet: After they took in Tulam'ee, they had started searching for other survivors from attacks by the Legion. Part because they wanted to track the Legion down, part because they hoped by making the R.I.F. more diverse, they could recruit more diversely due to the perceived acceptance of other species. It had been met with mixed success: so far only Grunts, Elites and Jackals low on money wanted to work with them, none (aside from Tulam'ee) on a permanent basis.

The Vehicles slowed to a stop, a Revenant and two Specters, all filled to their maximum capacity with riders. All of them were humans in full body armor, with their heads covered in bandages and goggles to obscure their identities. Most only wore human weapons, but one stood out.

By the looks of it, he was their leader. He was the only one whose head was visible, and he had a Covenant Energy Sword attached to his leg, as well as a Plasma Repeater strapped to his back. He was an african-american bearded man in his fifties, and he wore an eye patch over his left eye. It didn't obscure the injury that caused the blindness, though: a heavy burn scar and tinted veins ran from the area covered by the patch, indicating a Plasma burn from a Covenant weapon.

Graves smiled. "Here he is. 'Henry Adams'. The man without a true name. The last time we met, you were kicked out of the Naval academy for being caught forging multiple false identities for later use."

The man in question chuckled. "Trust me, Graves: I have learned a lot since then. I haven't been caught in twenty years."

Quaritch frowned in suspicion. "I don't know a Henry Adams. And I know every important figure in the intelligence community, thanks to Blisk. Who are you?"

Adams smirked. "I have many names. All of them false." he shrugged. "You might know me as 'One-eye Rhodey'."

Quaritch raised his eyebrows in recognition. "Rhodey? The one who raided an ONI Midnight facility on his own, killed twelve ODST's and got out, purely for someone's birthday?"

Adams laughed. "Yeah, that was a wild stunt. But that birthday would allow me access to a rather large bank I needed to raid."

"You're a criminal." Mac said accusingly.

Adams nodded. "By most people's definitions, I would be." he raised his hand before Mac could continue. "However, unlike most of the intelligence community, I have an advantage. One that can be exploited quite heavily, if one has the right... leverage."

"And what's that?" Graves asked.

A wide smirk appeared on the man's face. "An inside man in ONI. One in charge of the Internal Affair department. 'Section Zero', he called it."

Graves looked hard at the man. "As much as I value our past... _association_ , I'll need proof."

Adams nodded, and gestured off-handedly to one of his men. The one, upon closer inspection actually a woman, threw him a briefcase, which Adams caught. Adams, in turn, tossed it to Graves. Graves set it on a nearby rock, and opened it.

He had to admit, while he had no use of this, he was impressed. Inside were copies of the individual files of every Spartan in existence, of both the second and third programs. Graves had no use of them, since their... new ally had already delivered them not three months ago. But for Adams to acquire them, he truly needed to have sources very deep inside ONI. And the only way to get sources that deep was to have a hand in ONI's own internal affairs.

"Impressive." Graves said, as he showed it to Mac. Quaritch declined to look, keeping his guard up around the armed men and women around him. "You indeed have someone deep inside ONI."

Adams nodded, as Mac, satisfied, tossed the case back. "I'm true to my word with you."

Mac frowned at him. "I believe your claim to have people in ONI. But did you have a closer look at those files?"

Adams' cheery demeanor from earlier disappeared. "Of course. A good man always knows his merchandise."

"Then you know why we do this." Graves stated.

"Yes." Adams said. "And this is my issue: I'm willing to help. But I need to hear from _you_ what you're asking."

Graves nodded. "Fair enough." he sighed. Many people in his chain of command were opposed to this, the outside help. They wanted to depend on their own people, instead of a stranger offering to help part-time. But, like it or not, they needed the help. Blisk and Castilla, while experienced with Intelligence jobs, weren't up to fighting ONI on their terms, and they needed something to make them come to theirs. But until that time, they needed someone who could outsmart Parangosky, Osman and Black-Box, ONI's administrative AI, at the same time. And Blisk and Castilla weren't cunning enough for that. They needed outside help, more contacts, and someone with the cunning to make ONI go on the defensive.

And as much as he hated to say it, Henry Adams offered all of those.

"I have waited decades for the war to end. Because I wanted to do one thing for a very long time." he started, pulling out a datapad to show Adams the data to support his claim. "ONI is destroying the UEG and UNSC, tearing it apart from the inside with her incompetence, cruelty, corruption and madness. I want to take it down without harming the UNSC itself, and reform the latter until ONI will become redundant. But I don't have the people with both the cunning, daring and willingness to do what needs to be done in order to stop ONI."

He looked at Adams, who was examining the data. "My own Intelligence branch needs improvement if it wants to take on ONI. I want you to head it, until such a time that we defeat ONI. You have the skills we need, the contacts we require, and the cunning to outsmart Parangosky."

Adams looked up. "Thanks for the honesty. And I assume, given your adoptive daughter, that you will involve the Spartans into this?"

"It will turn the people against them." Graves simply said. "And what better way to end ONI than unraveling their secrets?"

Adams nodded. "It's effective, I'll give you that. But what of the rest of the UNSC?"

"Already thought of that." Mac filled in. "Consider: Once the people realize that the people they trust to protect commit the atrocities mentioned in uncensored files, they'll no longer trust the UNSC, and thus ONI, to protect them. Desperate for that protection, or feeling betrayed, they will desert, or outright rebel..."

"And rally to the R.I.F, who offer an alternative to ONI." Adams finished approvingly. "Your movement will grow stronger, while the UNSC and ONI weaken at the same time. People flock to your cause, you get to start your revolution, and the people are rid of ONI."

"Indeed." Graves said. "Will you accept?"

Adams nodded. "Deal. I haven't had a true challenge in a while, and Parangosky might offer just that."

Adams passed a card to Graves, who looked it over. It was a calling card.

 _Nicholas J Fury_

 _Waypoint Number: 023-6720-174_

Graves, in amusement, passed it to MacAllen. Mac read it as well, and guffawed.

"Nick Fury?" he managed between laughs. "You take your alias from a 550 year old comic book character?"

Adams smirked. "Of course. It makes new opponents underestimate me." he flicked his hand. Instantly, thirty people in Graves' visual range alone rose, weapons raised. Mac instantly lost his laugh.

Adams took to laughing instead, and made another gesture. Instantly, the newcomers disappeared, and Adams smiled. "See?"

Graves nervously returned the smile. "So, _Fury_ , see you tomorrow?"

Fury nodded. "Your office. And don't worry: I know the way." with that, the new Intelligence officer moved off, his men all following. Graves, MacAllen and Quaritch retreated as well.

"We didn't need those files, do we?" Quaritch asked, as they finally arrived at their transport, a Raven-class Dropship of Hammond's design. "Or you would have kept the case."

Graves nodded. He started the dropship, and they took off, heading for HQ. "A little over a year ago, Agent McGregor recovered an ONI agent from Reach, shortly before it's destruction. He had high-level clearance that practically opened the door for us to raid ONI's database. His access also allowed us to copy the files of all Spartan, of both the second _and_ third programs"

after a short flight, they returned to the headquarters, and Graves landed he craft. In his mind, it was a glorified lying box, no matter how well designed or constructed. It had a slightly raised cockpit, and a hold large enough for twelve people, with a rear hatch for a comfortable exit, or a removable hatch part on the side and part on the bottom of the craft, for a quick exit in case of emergencies. Many pilots and jumpers prefer the latter, as they get to leave the craft a lot faster. To finish the craft off, two engines had been fixed to the upper and rear side of the craft. A good mode of transportation, and an excellent rival for the Pelican.

"Interesting." Quaritch continued. "What is the agent's name?"

"He's not so much an agent as he's a doctor." MacAllen answered for Graves. "He was the primary psychologist in the second program, and has logged everything there is to know about the Spartans. Child prodigy, high IQ... The usual egghead sympathizer."

"Name's Lee van Conroy." Graves finished. "Recovered from SWORD Base during the base's occupation by the Covenant, under the cover of an ODST raid."

Graves thought back to the memory, as his adoptive daughter had relayed it.

* * *

 _Roof of SWORD-Base, during the Fall of Reach._

 _Sarah shouldered her rifle, as she let go of the rope and entered the upper levels of the base._

 _"How's the signal, Lena?" She asked her daughter. Currently, she was on her own, and Lena was back on her freighter, overseeing comms and looking out for Covenant ships. Normally she wouldn't let an eleven-year old oversee this, but she was short-handed right now, and Lena offered a hand._

 _"Still good. Skies are a mess, but that's to be expected from a base under attack." Lena answered, stress slightly filtering into her voice. "How about you?"_

 _"I'm good." Sarah answered in a reassuring tone, as she adjusted her red Bandanna. "Most personnel have left by now, either fleeing to the underground facility, or leaving entirely. Only the guy I'm here for should be here."_

 _She sighed in relief. This operation had been in planning for seven years, and they had to go through a lot of effort to even contact the man. The Fall, as she dubbed the battle of Reach, was timed both perfectly and terribly at the same time. Terribly because there was a large risk that the Covenant would level the base and kill either one or both of them, not to mention leaving Lena alone in a craft she didn't know how to fly. Perfect, because this was perhaps the only time they could extract him without ONI ever finding out. In the attack, they would assume he'd be killed._

 _At last, she arrived at the offices. She went down the hall, reading the name signs until she found the right one._

 _Dr. Penelope Young_

 _Dr. Catherine E Halsey_

 _Dr. Jackson Darrby_

 _Ah, there is was. Dr. Lee van Conroy._

 _She opened the door, and went in. To her surprise, it was very organized. The desk was nearly clear, except for a mug of coffee and an old Rubix cube. The closets, while filled with files, were all organized on date. The floor, while having dust on it from the occasional shake from a blast, was clear as well._

 _The man in question looked up from the desk. He was quite old, but not as old as Sarah expected. He was in his mid forties in appearance, and had a greying hairline that was already starting to recede. He had brown eyes hidden behind glasses, and had an unusual calm air around him. Surprising, considering he could die at any moment with the assault on Reach._

 _"Who are you?" The man asked._

 _"Amelia Riley." Sarah answered, using the alias she'd used to contact the man. Van Conroy immediately looked up, forming a slight smile as he did._

 _"Ah, the associate of Graves. Thank you for coming." He stood up, and grabbed a briefcase. She could see a small mess of papers inside, as well as some clothes and other essentials. Clearly, the man was prepared._

 _"Our cover's clear?" Conroy asked, as he followed her out of the office._

 _"Yes, Sir." She answered, more out of respect than that he was her actual superior. "ODST's are raiding the base in an attempt to demolish it. Most of the Covenant are on the lower levels, and none on this one. We should be in the clear."_

 _The doctor nodded, as they made it back outside. In front of them, on the rooftop landing pad, a Raven decloake. The rear hatch lowered, and a man beckoned them inwards. Van Conroy went in, but Sarah stayed outside._

 _Conroy turned, surprised. "You're not coming?"_

 _Sarah shook her head. "I've got some other people to evacuate, not to mention my own craft." She gave a mock-salute. "Take care, Doctor."_

 _The Doctor returned the salute, and the hatch closed as the craft took off, camouflaging itself again._

 _satisfied the operation was complete, she headed back to the cliff next to the base, where her own freighter was hidden, with Lena._

 _"Mission accomplished." She said. "I'm coming back"_

* * *

Graves smiled, as MacAllen and Quaritch headed back to HQ. The meeting between Allison and van Conroy had been... Surprising. While he had expected her to punch him at least for the man's involvement in the Spartan Program, they had been nearly inseparable. Apparently, for his role in her upbringing, he was regarded among Spartans as the uncle where everything was allowed, compared to Halsey and Mendez, who were very restrictive.

He headed back inside as well, eager to plan everything with Cole, Fury and the others.

* * *

 _Three weeks later, R.I.F. HQ, Angel City_

Graves had gathered everyone for this occasion. Cole and Fury stood at the back, neither eager for attention. Blisk, Sarah and Castilla were in conversation as they waited. Gallagher, Quaritch and Rogers were discussing the new specific upgrades for the Sentinels that had finally been completed. Cranach, MacAllen, Hammond and Spyglass sat near the operations table, overlooking an image of said capital ship. Tulam'ee had turned up as well, though he was withdrawn as well.

And he and Conroy entered the room just then. At once, everyone turned their attention to him.

"I know this will be a monumental moment in History" Graves started. "So I a, obliged to give a small speech."

He sighed, and stepped aside. "We started this to make the Galaxy a better place. To ensure ONI and the Legion can't corrupt it with their greed. So that the people don't have to live in fear of powerhungry tyrants, Like Parangosky or Omenlumin." He pointed at the display. "Today, we will truly start our war. Today, we are done preparing, and we will start genuinely fighting ONI."

"ONI will no longer hold reign over the UNSC and her people." Mac said, standing beside Graves. "Let us end this. Let us end ONI."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and some of the younger people, like Sarah and Rogers, cheered.

Graves nodded, and turned to Spyglass. "Spyglass, commence Operation: REDEMPTION."

Spglass nodded, and started the upload.

* * *

Mattock looked up from her morning cup of coffee, as she watched the screen of her tv change.

What had previously been a news channel turned to static. Shortly thereafter, a single message appeared.

 ** _Now unlocked: uncensored ONI files._**

Out of curiosity, she tried to zap away. As she pessimistically expected, it was on every channel, even the Sovereign Colonies News broadcasts. It was viewed by every single human alive.

Immediately, her chatter started to whir, and she unlocked it. The first three titles shocked her.

 _Spartans: from kidnapped infant to teenage Guinea pigs._

 _ONI into biological weapons of mass destruction? Ask Alex Mercer._

 _Mamore, where ONI bombs the people regularly._

She tapped the first title, and, as she suspected, there were hundreds of files. All pertaining to the Spartans. She skimmed through the files, looking for one name she dreaded to find. John Mattock, her long dead twin brother.

She found it, and the immediate info that popped up shocked her.

John-117 (Mattock)

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

She sank down in her chair in shock, letting reality sink in.

She, Parisa Mattock, was the twin sister of the fucking Master Chief. To say she was surprised didn't even come close to it.

Quickly, she skimmed through the rest of the file. As the title of the folder had spoiled, it shocked her. Flash-cloning, blaming parents for genetic diseases to cover it up, child abduction, training so extensive ODST's would give up, yet given to children, augmentations which killed half of the children and crippled a dozen more... She was shocked. And they did this to her brother?

And ONI ordered it?

She immediately dialed Wilson's Waypoint number. He answered immediately.

"Wilson?" She asked, her voice trembling. "You there?"

"Yeah." The man immediately answered. "So are Banks and Dubbo. We saw."

She let out a heavy sigh, calming her nerves for the one thing she would never have thought she'd say.

"Do you know people outside the UNSC? Like the people Sarah joins up with?"

* * *

Hood read the report just delivered to his desk, and frowned. The S.C. Colony of Aegis had lost contact, and ONI agents had failed to report in. Normally, he would leave this to Mahad, bu-

absurdly, the screen cut out into static, only to be replaced by a single line.

 ** _Now unlocked: Uncensored ONI files_**

It took Hood only a slight moment to skim through all the files, and see what had happened. If some said this, and the files confirmed they had managed to do it, then that meant one thing.

ONI's incompetence has come to light, and all of their database was unveiled to the public.

He immediately hit his com unit, and dialed the one number he really needed to speak right now.

"Admiral Parangosky?" He asked deceptively calm. But in truth, Calm was the last thing he _wanted_ to be. "Can you please come to my office?"

* * *

 _1 hour later_

Graves watched on the monitors, as ONI lost the one thing it had in the, and that no one wanted it to have.

Its blackmail, and therefor its power.

"Spyglass, how many deserters so far?" He asked, as he watched on the monitors, and listened to all the chatter.

"I have counted over three hundred ship captains and accompanying crews of various ships willing to join us. 65% of the UNSC is close behind." The merging of an AI and a robot answered.

 _Good, that meant that they would outnumber the UNSC when this was over._

"Prepare the broadcasting room." He ordered, as he turned to headed to said room. "It's time for the Shepard to herd the sheep to the right place."

* * *

 **Now, the war between ONI and Graves will begin, even if ONI doesn't know who their true enemy is.**

 **And the Titan at is ONI, will fall.**

 **Gharst Omenlumin**


	7. Epilogue 2: Spartans will fall

**The last Epilogue. at last.**

 **The beginning of this Epilogue is inspired by the mid-credit scene from Captain America: the Winter soldier, so please don't... No wait, never mind. I don't care if you point out the obvious.**

 **As for the little contest between which story I would do next, these are the results: three for the sequel, one is divided between the two... And only one person (me) in favor of the spin-off. Still, I let my readers choose. No point whining about being bitten in the ass. Already have a title, in case you wish to search later. Halo 4: Shelter of the Reclaimers.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing beyond OC's.**

 **Request: Reviews (do I still really need to state this?)**

* * *

Halo 3: The Ark

Epilogue 2: Spartans will fall.

* * *

 _Date: 02-12-2553_

 _Location: Conference Room, research facility designate 'Lightway', Halo Installation 03_

Gharst looked at the others in the room, as he turned off the news feed. It would have been... interesting, to see the chaos unfold in the UEG, as the unleashed classified files tore through the public. The R.I.F, led by insurrectionist Marcus Graves, had released implicating files of ONI bare minutes before. Gharst had to admit, the way Graves did it was impressive: he had hacked into the _entire_ Waypoint network, thereby ensuring every human alive would see these files. It wasn't a small feat, hijacking Waypoint like that. He would need to pay closer attention to this Graves.

The chaos that would come from this development was both good and bad for them. Good, because in all the chaos, all their anti-human propaganda in ex-Covenant Space would be unnoticed, and all their raids on human colonies would remain undetected. In the chaos, the silence of the colonies would be mistaken for a mere refusal to answer calls from the UNSC. By the time things calmed enough that Hood would try to check up on them, any trail they'd left behind would be far too cold to follow.

Bad, because they just lost a lot of Intel. ONI, for all of its ruthlessness, projects and widespread network of informants, was riddled with corruption and false agents. It was a training exercise for Legion Intel officers to infiltrate ONI ranks. Now that the entire ONI database was exposed, many files of blackmail, and Intel the Legion would rather have kept secret, were exposed to the public. And a secret's no good if half the galaxy knows, after all.

Jan was one of those that only saw the pessimistic side. "It's over." The Elite Logistic head of the Legion said. "Graves has released everything to the the public."

"Everything _ONI_ knows about." Recko countered. The head of the Cerberus Units had his arms behind his back, his appearance calm as always.

"Recko, if they learn about our work here, if they find out we have a second Lightway-"

"No worries, Jan." Gharst reassured him, as he busied himself bringing up an image of the Lightway. "ONI, the R.I.F... all sides of a coin that's no longer currency."

Tiring of the effort to bring up the image, he simply had Hades lower the view ports. As Jan and Recko looked at the artifact from a bygone age, Gharst gestured downwards.

"What we have is worth far more than any of them will ever know." He told them. "Look at what we've gained. Hard-light shielding, faster slipspace travel, teleportation possibilities..."

All that and more was possible with the Lightway engine. Day and night, hundreds of scientists were busy working on it, trying to figure out all of its secrets. Huragok came and went, trying to work their magic on it. Sentinels and Constructor Drones were busy completing it, adding all the parts they needed, delivered by Gharst.

The coolant fluids previously missing were acquired. It had been hard to find them, but a contact of Admiral Lumier had managed to infiltrate a certain Insurrectionist organization. There, the man had acquired a new type of fuel, mined on the world of Demeter, which is currently being terraformed. The Bish Isotope, the agent had called it. It wasn't the exact formula the Monitor had used, but it was satisfied the Isotope would serve as an excellent substitute.

Recko was also marveled by the Lightway Engine, and all the possibilities it offered. The named upgrades, like the shielding weren't ready for use by Cerberus units yet. But the moment it did, Recko would implement it. It wouldn't make the Cerberus units invincible, but it would go a long way to make them unbeatable. The UNSC had no weapons that could drain Hardlight shielding, and it took too much from the charge of Covenant Plasma weaponry.

"We've only scratched the surface, and already..." Recko trailed off. Before he could continue, the com unit went off. It was commander Yan'shu. All of them went for the com unit on the center of the table. Jan was the one that got there first.

"This is Commander Coldrun. What is it?" The Elite asked.

Yan'shu appeared on the central display, and he started to speak. Gharst noted the Elite was in a small state of panic: he had a nervous look, and his crew behind him tried too hard to look like they were busy working, instead of listening in on the conversation.

"Commander, I just received a report from our agent at Empirical Enterprises, and a secondary report from our spies in the UNSC army confirmed it."

"Confirmed what?" Gharst asked, impatient. He wanted to just hear the bad news, rather than having it drag on and let the anticipation falsely get higher.

"Message received." Hades, Gharst's personal AI assistant, interrupted. "Displaying it now."

the image of Yan'shu disappeared, and it was replaced by a written report, signed personally by both Yan'shu and their agent in Empirical Enterprises. Empirical Enterprises was an upcoming multi-trillion credit company specialized in the manufacture of weapons, and an upcoming rival of Misriah armories. If their agent embedded there found it, it must truly be a serious matter.

It was an usual report with details he could sort through later. What drew his attention, however, was the area Hades had highlighted, and a just reason for Yan'shu's concern. According to the report, Two undercover Spartans in civilian disguise (one hiding her appearance using holographic technology) and a robed Sang'Katarn Elite with a scar across his right eye were in the lobby of the corporate office of Empirical Enterprises.

"What?" Jan asked astonished, recognizing the Spartans as well. "What are they doing there?"

"From the looks of it, a Brigadier General by the name of Holland gave them extended leave, and they are questioning around about Cerberus." Yan'shu answered. "They made no inroads here, thank god. But it won't stay that way forever."

"Agreed." Gharst said, turning to Recko. "Would they make good..."

He trailed off as he saw Recko's face. Recko hadn't smiled since the extermination of the battle fleet and the Cerberus squads sent to Onyx. True, they had recovered the remains of one of the Spartans and Teleported it away to this installation through slipspace before the nukes had detonated. But it had cost twelve Cerberus soldiers, Recko's good friend Halno Orthel'kee among them. The Human Colonel forming part of the Triumvirate leading the legion hadn't smiled since.

And the man was smiling right now.

"Yan'shu." Recko stated. "Do you know the identity of the Spartan in holographic disguise?"

Yan'shu's image returned, and the Elite, while less nervous, looked less agitated, and more puzzled. "No definitive identity, but going by the transponder of her Neural Implant, we believe her tag is B312."

Recko's smile grew, and Gharst started to reevaluate the image. If Recko saw something in there that made him happy, Gharst needed to know, since Recko was a dangerous man. After all, he was the fate of Cerberus. He torched and bombed Sephora with Nukes until it was a crisp just to kill his father, even though he failed in the end. And he was the first human to join the Legion, something that only happened when they saw how Ruthless Recko could be. No, Recko wasn't to be underestimated.

But for the life of him, he didn't spot what Recko saw.

"What are you thinking?" Jan asked, as he saw Recko's look as well. Recko finally saw them all looking at him, and answered their question.

"B312 is the Spartan that killed Reghok in a duel. The last Hyper Lethal Spartan alive."

Everyone grew silent, except for Jan, who took in a sharp breath. The sole survivor of Noble Team. The only one to fight one-on-one with a Cerberus unit and walk away largely unscathed. The former Kaidon of Sang'Katarn. A one-woman army.

And she was hunting them? No wonder Yan'shu was nervous.

But also, Gharst immediately understood Recko's interest. The man had been looking for ages for a way to improve the Cerberus soldiers, and make them less dependent on Implants. But to know what chemicals to use, he needed access to either the original program itself, the Augmentation chemicals put into them, or the live body of a Spartan. The woman, a Spartan In her late twenties, would be the ideal first subject for Operation: THERMOPYLAE. From that woman's DNA and genetic make up, Recko could make Cerberus so powerful that not even the Master Chief himself could stop it.

"Have a false trail made." Gharst ordered once he had gathered his thoughts. "Have it lead across multiple companies connected to ONI, or even fronts used for their undercover operations. Let the bread crumbs lead her across the galaxy. Then, once we have everything ready, have it end at New Tyne. Have her meet an... _accident_."

"Venezia's capital" Yan'shu questioned. "Why?"

"THERMOPYLAE also involves conversion." Recko answered, as he was the mastermind behind THERMOPYLAE. "We need to ensure she will harbor no positive feelings about her superiors." Recko paused, smirking. "And what better way than what ONI will do to her after a near-fatal accident?"

Yanshu nodded, catching on to what Recko was saying. "Of course, colonel. I'll lay the trail. Just give me the signal, and I'll have it end at New Tyne."

"See that you do. Oh, and if possible, make ONI responsible in the incident. Fuel to the fire, if you get my meaning."

"Yes sir." Yan'shu said, saluting before signing off.

Gharst and Jan turned to Recko. "And what of the others?" Jan asked. "Two is better than one, of course. But two are also harder to control."

Recko waved his hand dismissively. "The other is expendable. If we can get her and keep her, all the better. But I won't shed tears if she doesn't live past the incident."

"And what of the Sangheili?" Gharst asked. For once in his life, he realized how Jan and Recko felt: often in the dark about what he was planning, always having to ask for details. He made a note to be more detailed when he explained the steps of his masterplan.

"Too dangerous." Recko judged. "We'd lose too many people trying to capture him, not to mention about any escape attempts, successful or not. No, if possible, we keep him in the dark. If not, I'll send the Bat."

This time it was Gharst who drew a breath. The Bat was an Elite recovered from a prison on Ute'k Mardeetwenty years ago. While weak, wounded and blind, the Elite had done a number of very remarkable feats shortly before his imprisonment. Hijacking a Corvette, ramming a battle cruiser with it, and boarding said battle cruiser and tearing its hangar bay apart from the inside with a Scarab tank. Feats that could be attributed to a Spartan-II, and that was _before_ his Cerberus augmentations. Afterwards, brain damage rendered his memory useless. But he still had his skills and his abilities. While still in treatment to get him back on his feet, as well as receiving more Cybernetic Implants than any being alive, once he was back in the field, he would be one of the best Cerberus units in existence. Right alongside the... _patient_. For Recko to send him was the same as saying _leave nothing to chance._

"Very well." Gharst said. "By estimations, he should be ready for first deployment in a few weeks."

Recko nodded. "Perfect. By that time, our inside man will be ready. THERMOPYLAE will complete her first steps, and ONI will dig its own grave."

"It already does." Hades said amusingly. The three shared a chuckle. Indeed, with Graves' attempt at gaining the trust of the UNSC people and alienating them from ONI had done a good job of digging the grave, and no matter the reaction, it would get only deeper. If ONI did nothing, the people would desert, realizing there was no real consequence to it. If it send a fleet after the deserters, they would prove Graves' point, and even more would desert, not to mention lure Graves out into the open. If it tried to deny it, people could just point out the files and ask questions. ONI's response, or lack thereof, would be enough.

But, with what their agent had proposed for the second stage of THERMOPYLAE, no matter what ONI did, it would ruin itself in the long run.

"And what of the Separatists?" Jan asked. "Or Rahgath's Sanghelian Alliance and Jul M'dana's Storm Covenant? With this new revelation Graves brought out, most beings will question whether working with the UNSC is good for them."

"I will work on that part." Gharst said. "As usual, we will exploit the chaos and use it to hide our activities. It's merely a different kind of chaos nowadays."

"And besides" Recko said. "If the worst happens, we don't need to work with them anyway. We'd use the Lightway to escape with our people to other galaxies, and we'd start over."

Jan nodded in grim silence. It was a grim reminder of why they were here. The Lightway was to be their solution should the Aegis situation get out of hand: they would cause enough chaos that the things would go for the UNSC and other parties, while they would power up the Lightway and leave the Galaxy to be destroyed. A grim fate, for the Galaxy to fall like that. But beyond reactivating the Halo Array, there was no other solution.

"Very well." Jan said, after a moment of silence. "Halcyon has returned from their mission to Centennial, by the way. All governmental units are eliminated, and the 29th Legion has confiscated the resources we were after. We're still busy calculating, but at current estimates, we're roughly 1,5 trillion credits richer."

Recko chuckled. "Impressive. Not that we don't get paid double in a month, but still..."

"We need all the resources we can get." Gharst finished. "Jan, organize three more of such raids on New Transylvania, New Geneva and Centauri IX. They have great material wealth, and can stock up our treasury even more."

"Will do." Jan said, as he left the room. As soon as he had left, Gharst turned to Recko. The head of Cerberus had... Astonishing news recently, to say the least. He needed to confirm this for himself first, before he could let word of this spread. Raising false hopes was just as damaging as hiding ugly truths, after all.

"Recko, are you absolutely sure it's him?" He asked, turning to the man. Recko nodded.

"I triple checked his DNA, and all reports check out. The accounts of his crew, the ship designation, the encounter with Rahgath's Sanghelian Alliance... Hell, at this point, even I am starting to believe it."

Recko brought up the image of the patient. It was in the medical bay of the Unhaunted Ghost, a Phoenix-class vessel and the Legion's counterpart to the UNSC's Mobile hospital ship the _Hopeful_. A Sangheili, put in modified ranger armor so he wouldn't die on them, was being put in stasis.

The Sangheili had only a single wound. But that wound was devastating enough. He had been hit in the back of his head, at the place where head and neck connected, by a Needler Round, which had shattered and exploded. Every nerve connecting the body and the brain was literally gone, blasted to pulp. The neck bones were in a similarly unrecoverable state. And Gharst didn't even _want_ to think about what had happened to the back of the skull. In short, The tech needed to save him didn't exist yet, so they couldn't operate on him.

But the keyword was _yet_. This was too valuable a warrior to just let him die. Even now, the R &D department was busy working on Nanites to replace the nerves, New metal Vertebrae to replace the neck bones, as well as metal EMP-shielded plates to protect the Nanites. Also, they needed to do something about those replacements, otherwise the body might reject the enhancements. Or worse, kill the patient. But he had faith Recko could pull it off. There was a reason Recko was the head of not only the Cerberus Program, but also the R&D department, the Science division and the Medical Departments.

"A shame, really." Recko said, with a hint of sadness. "Being supposedly offered a place on a new council of a new entity, and being forced into accepting it by your own government, only to be betrayed like that. Shot in the head from behind." Recko growled. "Political backstabbers, the lot of them."

Gharst turned to Recko in surprise. "Is that compassion I'm hearing?" He asked mockingly shocked.

Recko laughed. "No. Sympathy. Remember, in an indirect way the same happened to me. Betrayed by my own people, and left to bite the dust."

Gharst nodded knowingly. "Do you think we need to give him the same treatment as the others?"

"The brainwashing? No. I think I can convince him. Brainwashing might be more effective in the short run, but from my experience genuine loyalty causes less problems in the long run. Besides, this one is known to see reason. I can bring him around."

Gharst nodded, accepting Recko's judgement. "Very well. As soon as everything's complete, bring him back. He might be a corpse now, but he could prove very valuable in the future."

Recko nodded. "Already ahead of you in that regard. As soon as he's ready, he'll lead a new Squad of Cerberus units." Recko paused, smiling. "The Bat will be the first member."

Gharst smiled as well. "All the more deadly. I like it."

Recko smirked. "Thought so. Now, if you excuse me, I need to prepare things for our first THERMOPYLAE subject."

Gharst nodded. "Have fun. And give the agent in Empirical Enterprises my regards."

"Sure." Recko said, as he left as well.

It was sad, Gharst thought. The agent was forced to be embedded into E.E for such along time, and would likely be sent back later for much longer, due to what would need to happen for THERMOPYLAE. But sacrifices have to be made. Even if that meant a Cerberus Supersoldier had to play a spy.

* * *

 **The last Epilogue is done. And wow, did I reveal much. Brainwashing, Spies, plots against Six, portals to other galaxies. Almost like it's a very full fan fiction. Oh wait...**

 **A few things I have to say about this. First, I forgot to mention in the last Epilogue that Quaritch is inspired after the namesake from Cameron's avatar movie, and shares his appearance and mannerism. Second, I noticed I have introduced a lot of material here. Before you ask questions: A lot will be explained in the spin-offs who and what they are, as well as their fates. Third, I have a schedule, now. For every direct sequel to the storyline, there will be a spin-off or Prequel. For example: the first Direct Sequel is called Shelter of the Reclaimers, while the Spin-off will be called Rise Of The Spartans. Then there will be a new sequel, then a new spin-off, etcetera, etcetera...**

 **Now, I will welcome any guesses about the identity of Recko's patient. Or even ideas. Someone's OC? A character I already mentioned? Someone inspired by an entirely different saga, like Mass Effect or Star Wars? I have a plan, but nothing is set. Make a truly good suggestion and I might even put it up.**

 **Now, Read, Review and Favourite.**

 **So long.**

 **Gharst Omenlumin**


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